Power the Dark Lord Knows Not
by debjunk
Summary: SS/OC Serina Torrington, the new Muggle studies teacher and love interest of Severus Snape receives an unexpected gift. Will she be able to help Harry defeat Voldemort with this gift, or will she die trying? AU/DH ignored.
1. Chapter 1

Severus Snape stared around the Great Hall. His eyes settled on the first years that were being sorted. Absentmindedly, he wondered if any of them had any potential whatsoever. Glancing again at the other six years worth of students in the Hall and noting their lack of potential, he concluded that this new class was probably made up entirely of dunderheads also.

Finally the last first year skipped along to her new home in Hufflepuff and the Headmaster began his speech. Severus was startled out of his musings by sudden clapping among the faculty. He looked to his side and saw the new Muggle Studies teacher standing and waving with a broad smile on her face. She sat back down and her black curly hair bounced up and down with her movement. Finally it settled at shoulder length. Her sapphire blue eyes continued to twinkle, even though the introduction was now over.

He continued watching her. She seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place the association. Her name, Serina Torrington, wasn't one he remembered hearing before. She seemed to be about his age, but he was never good at guessing women's ages.

Suddenly the tables were filled with food. Everyone started chattering at once. Severus piled some roast beef and mashed potatoes onto his plate and began to eat, forgetting about the woman sitting next to him until she spoke.

"So, Severus, how have you been?" she asked him. Her voice was soft and sultry.

He turned his head toward her while swallowing his potatoes and replied, "Have we met before?" He was eyeing her curiously now.

"Well, if you consider five years together at Hogwarts meeting before, then I would probably have to say yes," she smiled.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to remember her. "I'm sorry, you seem familiar, but I really don't remember you."

She looked a little disappointed, but finally brightened, "I was two years ahead of you, and I was in Ravenclaw. I don't think we ever really spoke."

He nodded, deep in thought. He still couldn't place her. He shrugged. "What have you done since Hogwarts?" he asked her, still wracking his brain trying to place the woman.

I went to University and double majored in Potions and Muggle Studies. Since then I've worked on and off as a Potions Mistress and a Muggle Studies teacher at Beauxbatons.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Why did you choose to take the Muggle Studies position here?" he asked.

"The Potions position wasn't open." She leaned toward him. "I hear that teacher will never leave this school!" she quipped, smiling at him.

He only stared at her, his lips drawn into a thin line. Her smile disappeared and she spoke again.

"I missed England, to be honest. France is lovely, but when one has a hankering for some Steak and Kidney Pie, it's hard to fulfill that craving."

He continued to stare at her, not saying a word, with the same grim look on his face. She looked at him quizzically and wondered why he wasn't saying anything.

"I was just kidding about the Potions position, Severus. I would never think to take your job away from you," she said rather nervously.

He nodded and went back to his meal, but she thought she saw a flash of mirth in his eyes as he returned to his plate. Had he been goading her into feeling self conscious? She glanced at him, but he had already started a new conversation with Professor McGonagall and she was left to her dinner. She chewed her food while she reflected on her days at Hogwarts and the lonely boy who had been Severus Snape back then. He only had a few friends, mostly Slytherins. They had all eventually turned into Death Eaters. He also used to follow Lily Potter around like a lost puppy.

Serina truly had never spoken a word to him during their time together at school. She had observed him from afar, though. She had always been drawn to quiet, dark, mysterious men. She even admitted to herself that she probably had a slight crush on the lanky boy back then before her seventh year, when she had begun to date John Bower. She quickly put John out of her mind. She was at a party and should be happy, not sad.

Her mind came back to the present just in time to hear Dumbledore shoo everyone out of the Great Hall and into their beds. She looked to her left to bid Severus good night, but he had already left the table. She rose and left the Hall, heading to her room with everyone else.

* * *

"You dated that Prefect in your seventh year did you not?" Severus asked Serina the next day as they passed breakfast items to one another. 

She nodded to him while sipping some orange juice. "John Bower, yes."

"Whatever happened to him?"

She frowned. "We got engaged after we graduated from here. We were planning the wedding when he was killed by Death Eaters."

Severus turned even paler than he already was. "I'm sorry. Do you know who did it?"

Getting a hateful look in her eye, she continued, "Bellatrix Lestrange did it."

Severus looked down, not really knowing what to say. Serina composed herself and went back to her breakfast as if nothing had happened.

"Serina, if you want to brew some potions or anything while you're here, you may use the dungeons and any of my supplies anytime you want." After the words were out of his mouth, he wondered why he had said that. He loved his privacy and didn't want some woman coming down at all hours of the night bothering him. He was probably just feeling obligated because he had brought up such a sad topic for her.

She regarded him with wide eyes, and then smiled. "Thank you, Severus. I probably will take you up on your offer."

* * *

A few nights later Severus wandered into the Potions room late at night. He had seen a faint glow under the door and was investigating. Forgetting his offer to Serina he was surprised to see her bent over a cauldron stirring quickly. He leaned against the doorframe and studied her for a moment. She was totally absorbed in her work and did not notice him there. Her black curls fell in front of her face blocking her vibrant blue eyes. She would stir violently in one direction, then switch and stir with the same vehemence in the other direction. He loved the concentration it took to brew properly and she seemed to really know what she was doing. He let her concentrate and finish her work before he spoke. When she finally had finished the sequence she stood back from the cauldron and heaved a great sigh.

"What is it you're working on?" Severus asked her.

She looked up, a little wide eyed, but gave no other hint that he had startled her. She smiled at him.

"It's a memory draught. I have been working on it for over a year now, I can't seem to get it right."

Severus strode up near the cauldron and stared into it. A thin purple liquid sat in the cauldron, bubbling furiously.

"What exactly do you want to have this memory draught do?" he asked.

"I'm trying to create a potion that helps with lost memories. The goal is that a person would think of either a half memory that they can't fully remember, or a part of their life that they would like to remember more of. The potion would help them to see that time of their life clearly."

"Fascinating," Severus replied. "Is it ready yet?"

"It will be in half an hour."

"Can I try it?"

She looked at him curiously. "You would take an experimental potion without knowing its effects?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "You are a Potions Master, are you not? I will assume that you are competent enough to create a draught that doesn't kill the person ingesting it on site."

She laughed at that, ignoring his sarcasm. "Thank you for your trust, Severus, but I'd rather test it on myself. That way if anything goes wrong, I'm the only one who gets hurt."

He scoffed at her. "Come now, you need a guinea pig, I'm offering my services."

She regarded him for a minute. "Well, if you're that anxious to visit your past, be my guest." She sat down in a chair that she conjured up and checked her watch. "We have about 25 minutes before you can try it."

Severus conjured up a chair for himself and they waited in silence. Serina studied the other Potions master. He sat there relaxed with his legs crossed. His jet black hair and eyes were incredibly striking. His face was rather severe, but in a way that intrigued her. He really was far more handsome than he had been when she had known him as a student.

"What?" Severus demanded. He had noticed her staring.

She blushed. "Sorry, I was just thinking about you when you were a student."

"It sounds like you're the one who wants to revisit their past," he huffed.

Her blush deepened. "I was just thinking that you have aged rather nicely."

Severus' eyes showed surprise for a minute, and then a mask came over his face. "I couldn't have gotten much worse," he mumbled.

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "I've always thought you were quite striking," she confessed.

"You're the only one," he snapped.

She left it at that, already regretting saying so much. She was being awfully forward with him. She usually was quite shy around men she was attracted to. She suddenly realized that she was indeed attracted to Severus. She blushed yet again. _Oh well, what have I got to lose? He can't be any more snarky than he is already if he doesn't want my attentions_, she supposed.

Glancing at her watch she noted that the half hour had elapsed quickly. She rose and got a small vial. Scooping up some potion into it, she handed it to Severus.

Looking at him expectantly, she told him, "Bottoms up."

He looked over the purple potion and downed it in one gulp. They both waited, but nothing seemed to be happening.

"When should I notice something?" he asked her seriously.

"Are you concentrating on the memory?" she asked him.

"Of course," he replied.

She sighed. "It should be automatic after ingesting the potion." She looked incredibly disappointed. "I really thought I had worked out all of the kinks this time. Oh well, back to the drawing board."

Severus seemed disappointed also. "If you'd like, I can look over your work, maybe come up with some suggestions." He raised an eyebrow at her.

She smiled at him. "I would be honored if you did. I have been at it for so long; a new set of eyes might discover something I've been overlooking all of this time."

"Don't get too discouraged. It took Damocles Belby three years to perfect the Wolfsbane potion. Of course he could only test it once a month."

"Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?" she asked with a narrowing of her eyes.

Severus actually chuckled at that. "The former. Actually, I'm working on an improvement to Wolfsbane. Would you like to see it?"

Serina nodded enthusiastically. He motioned for her to follow him into a smaller room off of the Potions classroom. It was a small room that only held one cauldron. She wandered over to it and peered over its edge. The contents were a golden color.

"The potion is such a help to the Werewolves," she muttered. "What are you trying to improve in it?"

"I'm trying to have it keep the Werewolf from transforming at all. Even though Wolfsbane works to suppress the inner werewolf and keeps the victim's wits about him, they are basically incapacitated for the entire cycle of the full moon as they still transform into the beast. I would like this potion to keep them from transforming and let them go about normal life too."

She regarded him with admiration. "It would be wonderful if you could find a way to do that, Severus. How long have you been working on it?"

"I just started. I have been working on the idea for a while now, but just began with actual potion experiments. I should have some ready for the next full moon to try on willing subjects. It will probably take several years to perfect it, if it even works at all."

She smiled at him and wished him luck.

"Actually, this has been incredibly time consuming. I could use your help with brewing other things that I have let pile up on me, if you would be willing."

Her eyes sparkled. "I would be glad to help in any way I can."

"Why don't you come down on Wednesday evenings and we can work on catching up together."

She smiled at him. "It sounds like a date."

Severus' eyes grew wide at her statement, but she didn't notice. Trying to stifle a yawn, she continued.

"Geez, I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning then." With a smile at him she turned and left.

He stared after her watching her shapely form disappear into the darkness. He reflected on her potion. It was a clever idea. He was sad that it hadn't worked yet. He had concentrated very hard on his memories of her at Hogwarts. He desperately wanted to remember more about her. She seemed to remember quite a bit about him, why hadn't he noticed her more? Oh yes, he was a hermit. He shook his head at the thought of his school years.

She had thought he was, how had she put it? Striking? Had he heard an undercurrent of attraction in her voice when she had said that? He was getting excited just thinking about it. She was incredibly beautiful and intelligent. He swallowed hard. He was attracted to the witch, now what was he going to do about it?

* * *

_A/N: Please review and thanks for being curious enough to read!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Kudos to JK Rowling for such great characters, which I of course do not own. I do own Serina Torrington._

**Chapter 2**

The following Wednesday she appeared at the appointed eight p.m. As Serina entered the Potions room she noticed two cauldrons set up with a myriad of ingredients placed on a table in front of them. Looking around for Severus, she noticed he wasn't in the room. She wandered over to one of the cauldrons and saw that it was empty. So was its partner. Severus walked out of the back room laden with jars. She rushed over to help him carry some of them and they both placed the ingredients on the table.

"What are we doing tonight?" she asked him.

"If you would make some sleeping draught, I will work on a headache remedy," he said shortly.

He had been somewhat distant to her this past week. After mulling it over in his head, he had decided that he didn't want to get close to her. He didn't have the energy to be romantically involved with anyone. Every time he got close to someone, it ended badly and his heart couldn't handle another attempt at love unrequited.

Serina eyed him curiously. All of the warmth she had seen from him that night in the Potions room had virtually disappeared. He had either ignored her or snapped at her for the entire week. She wondered if she had done something to offend him. Shrugging it off, she gathered what she would need to make the draught and set to work.

They worked silently for a while. Serina got her potion to a state where it needed to simmer without being supervised and she wandered over to the table and sat down, staring at the ingredients that rested there. Severus seemed to have a break also and he grudgingly sat down at the table also.

"How has your week been?" she asked him, hoping he would give her more than a grunt for an answer.

"Fine," he said tersely.

"It doesn't sound like it was fine," she retorted.

He glared at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're angry about something. What's wrong?" she asked him, struggling between feeling angry and being genuinely concerned.

She was what was wrong. He had no time for romance in his life, and here he was, attracted to her. He was so angry with himself, he could barely see straight.

"It's no concern of yours," he replied shortly.

Anger welled up within Serina. He was always so difficult!

"Suit yourself," she responded crossly.

He sighed. He need not be so cruel to her just because he couldn't control his emotions.

"I'm sorry," he replied in a gentler manner. "I've had a bad week. I don't mean to take it out on you."

She softened at his apology. "I'm sorry too. If there's anything I can do…" she let the sentence trail off.

He smiled mirthlessly. "There's really nothing anyone can do."

She decided to change the subject. "Are you going to Hogsmeade on Saturday?" she asked him.

"I don't go to Hogsmeade unless I am chaperoning," he stated flatly.

"Why not?" she asked curiously.

"I have better things to do with my time than watch a bunch of pre-pubescent kids run around making eyes at each other." He had literally spat out the last part.

Serina laughed heartily. "Oh Severus, you're too much! The students deserve a holiday just as much as we do! Besides, you can go to Hogsmeade and hardly run into any students if you know where to go."

He raised an eyebrow at her. She got a mischievous look in her eyes. "Come with me on Saturday, I promise you we won't see any students where we end up and you'll be glad you got away from here."

He thought about it for a moment. "You have given me an offer I cannot refuse," he said finally.

"Great," she beamed. "I'll meet you in front of the Great Hall at nine."

Severus nodded at her and went to finish his potion, chiding himself all the way. He was insanely curious as to where they would be going, but he had been foolish to accept her offer. What had he been thinking? He seemed to be asking himself this question a lot lately when it came to Serina Torrington. Instead of spending time with her, he should be distancing himself from her as often as possible, but no, he couldn't help himself and had to go and accept her offer. It was as if she knew he would never decline a challenge. Why did she seem to know him so well? He groaned in frustration.

Serina looked up and asked if his potion was alright. He nodded in the affirmative and poured it into the bottles needed for the infirmary. Finished with his work, he looked up at Serina.

"Have you tried Essence of Chestnut?" he asked her.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked totally befuddled.

"In your memory potion, have you tried Essence of Chestnut? It has remarkable recalling powers."

"Never heard of it," she responded.

"Few have. Maybe you should acquire some." He gazed at her levelly.

"I will," she replied thoughtfully.

"I'm going to bed. You don't mind cleaning up when you're done, do you?" Severus asked.

She looked disappointed that he wasn't staying longer, but she agreed and he left for his room. Her eyes followed him and she thought about the coming weekend with excitement. She was mildly surprised that he had accepted her challenge so readily. She knew he was the sort to never be outdone so she had goaded him into accepting her invitation, but she had expected to have to entice him a little more than she had for him to agree. She couldn't wait for Saturday to come. Maybe she could even find some of the Essence of Chestnut in Hogsmeade and redo her potion.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those who have reviewed._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The Shrieking Shack. This is your idea of somewhere to go where there are no students?" Severus eyed her.

"Well, do you see any students?" she retorted.

"No, but my idea of fun is not to stare at an old falling apart shack."

"It's haunted you know," she said mysteriously, her eyes sparkling.

"No it's not," he replied blandly.

"Yes it is, come on, I'll show you." She grasped his hand and started toward the shack.

"I'm not going in there," he snorted. He refused to move, stopping Serina in her tracks.

She turned back to him. "Are you afraid of the ghosts?" she teased.

His eyes grew narrow. "For the last time, there are no ghosts!"

"Oh of course there are, you just don't want to confront them!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Severus, I know about the "joke" Sirius Black played on you your sixth year." Looking at the Shack again, she mumbled, "You should face your demons."

He pulled his hand from hers. "How do you know about that?" he snarled.

"Word got around about him pulling a stunt that almost cost you your life. Even us graduates got whisperings here and there about the incident." She said dryly. "Black should have been expelled."

"Yes, well he wasn't." Severus snapped.

"How stupid could he be? You were lucky you weren't killed, or worse. Did Dumbledore not expel him to save Lupin's reputation?" she asked him.

"I would assume," he spat. "How do you know about Lupin, anyway?"

"Well, of course, his being a Werewolf came out after he was fired from Hogwarts. I kind of put two and two together and figured that Black's stunt probably involved Lupin in his transformed state."

Serina looked at him curiously. "Is Lupin the reason why you are trying to improve the Wolfsbane potion?"

"If I tell you yes, will you drop the matter?"

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Now I'm really intrigued. Come on." She took his hand again and headed for the shack. Severus reluctantly followed her. "I like coming here because no one ever bothers you. You can think without interruption."

"You come here a lot?" he asked in amazement.

"It has been a while, but yes, I used to. When John was killed I came a lot. I wanted to be alone. I felt my grief was a burden to even my family. They were concerned for me, but I couldn't stand the pity in their eyes every time one of them looked at me. It made me angry to see everyone else around me so happy while I was so miserable. I needed to get my own demons out so I would come here. My shrieking and wailing probably reinforced the tales of haunting about this place."

Severus watched her sadly as she pulled him closer to the shack. He pictured her in the shack all alone, hysterical. She hadn't deserved that. No one did. He eyed the Shack. Whatever she had done in there, she seemed to have gotten rid of most of her demons. He could still see some pain in her eyes when she talked about her ex-fiancée, though. How do you ever get over something so horrible?

Serina went around to the back and studied the wall. Finally she spied what she was looking for and pried a board loose from it. The large board left an opening big enough for them to squeeze through. They entered in silence. Severus glanced around. He had been in here before and knew what to expect.

Serina walked over to the fireplace and waved her wand. A fire began to crackle away, giving light to the darkened shack. She conjured up a rug and sat down. She motioned for Severus to join her on the floor in front of the fire. He got down next to her, sitting with his legs out in front of him; his arms propping him up behind him as his eyes darted around, taking in his surroundings.

"See, it's not so bad in here."

"I have been here before, Serina, I just don't like it."

"Well, maybe I can make you appreciate it more. Where else in Hogsmeade can you come and meet no one else?" She smiled her mischievous smile at him.

His eyes narrowed at her. "Very clever, witch," he responded.

"You were telling me about Lupin and the Wolfsbane."

"No, I wasn't."

"Oh come on! I won't tell anyone. Besides, no one's here to listen." She grinned at him again.

"I suppose you won't let me alone until I admit it," he sighed. "Yes, knowing Lupin stirred my interest in finding something that would help Werewolves. After almost being attacked I actually dwelled on what it must be like to be a Werewolf. I was furious at Black and at Lupin, even though I knew he couldn't help himself. I have always valued my control over myself and the thought of not having that control during the full moon's cycle…well, it gave me a little sympathy towards him, but not much. I thought that there had to be a magical way to help Lupin and his kind. When Belby created the Wolfsbane I quickly learned to make it. It really is a miracle; I just would like to be able to find something even more effective."

"You're an honorable man, Severus Snape. Most people would have held a grudge and stayed away from anything to do with Werewolves."

"Don't make it sound better than it is. I have hated Black and Lupin and _Potter_ for as long as I can remember."

"That doesn't keep you from trying to develop the Potion, now does it?"

"No, but,"

"I rest my case." She turned and stared into the fire with a determination in her face that told him that further argument was not acceptable.

He sighed. "Believe what you want."

"I will," she retorted.

_Stubborn woman! _Severus thought to himself.

They stared into the fire for a long time, not saying anything. They were both lost in thought. Serina was growing fonder of Severus as the days went on. The more she knew about him, the more she respected and liked him. She wished that he liked her as more than a friend, but she didn't see that happening. He constantly isolated himself from everyone. It was as if he was afraid to get close to anyone.

She was surprised that she had even been able to coerce him out to Hogsmeade today. She really couldn't blame him for being aloof. His duty as a Death Eater/spy really didn't leave room for many friendships. Her membership in the Order of the Phoenix had enlightened her to Severus' double identity. She marveled at his ability to play both sides so well. She wondered if he trusted anyone fully. Serina felt it would be nice if he could come to trust her. She would really like having him confide in her.

Severus was secretly staring at her through the curtain of hair that was blocking her view of his face. She was incredibly beautiful in the firelight. The flames flickered and made her eyes dance. She looked as if she was pouting and he longed to press his lips against hers and kiss her passionately. So much for distancing himself from her, she was too captivating to do that. He supposed getting to know her better wouldn't be so awful after all, and if something came of it, well, maybe that would be a good thing too. He gave up trying to be aloof and slid closer to her. He put his arm around her. She looked at him, astonished at his forwardness.

"You look cold," he told her, as if that was his only motive.

She smiled at him and leaned even closer to him. "I hadn't noticed until you said something."

They sat like that for some time, staring happily into the fire. Serina was right, he was happy he had gotten away from Hogwarts.

* * *

_A/N: Well, did you guess they were headed to the Shrieking Shack? Great intuition if you did. No kissy kisses yet, sorry for those of you who want to see that. It'll come along eventually, but not in the way you would imagine. Thanks for reading!!! (and reviewing!!!)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Serina was excitedly descending the stairs to the Potions room. She reflected over the past few days. They had been quite pleasant. Severus seemed to be more open with her and she enjoyed his wit often at dinner. He was quite funny when you learned to appreciate his dry, sarcastic humor.

She continued to go down the stairs, with lightness in her step. She had acquired some Essence of Chestnut at Hogsmeade and had been brewing the memory draught. It was finally ready. Emerging at her destination she swung open the door and was pleasantly surprised to find Severus fiddling with some bottles.

"Oh, I'm glad you're here, Severus! I was going to hunt you down anyway," she said as she moved toward her cauldron. "My memory potion is ready and I was wondering if you would like to play guinea pig again?"

Severus glanced up as she gushed at him and a small smile crept over his face. "I am willing to help again," he responded somewhat blandly, yet excitement had leapt in his chest.

"Great!" she exclaimed as she scooped some of the purple potion into a flask and handed it to Severus.

He gave the potion a quick glance before tilting his head back and drinking all of it down. He straightened back up and Serina looked at him expectantly. She saw his eyes glaze over somewhat and hitched her breath, hoping he was seeing a memory and not having some ill effects from the potion.

_Severus' mind swirled before him and suddenly he was a student again. The inadequate feelings that he felt as a youth were not there as he sat in the Great Hall, reliving a part of his life_. _He looked across the room and there she was, looking right at him. Serina, several years younger than now, but as beautiful as ever, averted her eyes and turned red. The scene replayed over and over again. He would be somewhere in the school and she would be staring at him, quickly averting her eyes if he glanced at her. He wondered how many times he had missed her gaze altogether._

_Then he was sitting under a tree, studying. He was oblivious, once again, to Serina staring at him. She was seated on a bench a little ways away, all by herself. She stared for a while, and then seemed to make up her mind about something. She rose and started walking toward Severus with a determined look on her face. Suddenly from out of nowhere, another young man ran over to her and swept her off her feet twirling her in the air._

_He was a handsome young man with dark brown curly hair and blue eyes. It was John Bower. Serina gave him a big smile and listened as he told her he was going to be on the quidditch team taking over the spot of an injured player who was out for the season. He swirled her around again and told her it was all because she had encouraged him to talk to the Ravenclaw captain, who had been excited to hear of his interest and had tried him out. Serina squealed in excitement, causing Severus to look up from his book for a moment, and then she and Bower had left arm in arm._

_Then his memories consisted of Serina walking with Bower. He felt a tinge of sadness as he saw her happily kiss him and look at him lovingly. He wasn't sure if it was because of John's early demise or because this memory meant she wouldn't be looking at him any longer. He saw her several more times, usually walking with Bower and then the memories stopped and he returned to the present._

"Fascinating," he muttered.

Serina looked at him tentatively. "Did it work?" she asked.

"It was extremely effective."

She gasped and threw her arms around Severus. "I can't believe it! It finally worked!"

She backed away from him a bit and drilled him with questions. "Were the memories clear? Did it bring to light things you hadn't realized had happened? How did it feel?"

Severus chuckled at her. "One question at a time, witch!" he complained and then began to answer her. "The memories were very vivid, as if I were there or looking at them in a Pensieve. It felt pretty normal, except I felt a bit detached from them and could think about what I was seeing. Most of the memories were one's I never realized I possessed."

She threw her arms around him again and hugged him tightly. "It's better than I had hoped! Thank you Severus, if it hadn't been for you I would have never thought to use the Essence of Chestnut."

He returned the hug and said, "You were the brilliant mind that came up with the idea in the first place."

"Will you come with me to the Ministry to introduce it?" She looked at him hopefully.

"It's your creation; you should do it by yourself. You deserve all of the credit."

She looked a bit disappointed, but agreed. Realizing she still had her arms wrapped around him she quickly dropped them to her side. Trying to cover up she said the first thing that came to mind.

"So what were your memories?"

Severus arched an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, I didn't mean to pry if they were personal." She looked down and turned red.

He chuckled at that and she shot a glance back up at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"It's just that in my memories, you seemed to be turning red quite a bit." With that he turned on his heel and bid her good night, leaving her to stare after him, even redder than before.

* * *

Wednesday rolled around and they were both in the dungeon working on potions, chatting amiably when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" Severus cried loud enough to be heard by the guest.

Lucious Malfoy cracked open the door and stuck his head in as if looking for something. His eyes rested on Serina and a wide grin came across his face. Severus' eyebrows narrowed. Serina glanced up and gave a great squeal.

"Lucius!" she cried, dropping what she was doing and running to the door. Lucius had entered the room fully now. He held his arms out and she threw herself into them. They embraced each other with great smiles on their faces and he spun her around.

"Serina it's wonderful to see you again!" he gushed.

She hugged him tightly and placed a kiss on his cheek. "It's great to see you too! I'm sorry I haven't been to visit, I have been incredibly busy with teaching."

"Yet you can bury yourself in this dingy dungeon? I'm hurt." He pouted a little for her.

Severus stared at them in amazement. They seemed awfully friendly towards one another. How did they even know each other?

"Severus and I are catching up on some potion making." Serina stopped for a minute. "How did you find me?"

"Dumbledore knew where you were. I simply asked him. I figured if I didn't hunt you down it would be another two months before I finally got to lay eyes on you. Serina, you look beautiful!"

She blushed. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself. Have you let your hair get longer? I believe it was only down to your shoulder the last time I saw you." She caressed his long tresses.

"Now, now, you know how particular I am about my hair, hands off."

She pouted. "You never minded before when I stroked your hair. Besides, it always feels so soft." She ran her hands through his hair again and Lucius smiled at her, even though he had warned her not to touch it a moment before.

Severus cleared his throat. Serina turned and saw him glaring daggers at the two of them. She pulled her hand from Lucius' hair and folded her arms in front of her in embarrassment.

Lucius nodded at Severus then turned back to Serina. "I have come to invite you to dinner tomorrow night," he told her.

She blanched. "Is your wife going to be there? You know I can't stand the sight of her."

"Would I be inviting you if she was going to be there? This way we can be alone and catch up on _old times_."

She gave him a wicked grin. "That sounds absolutely divine! I'd love to. You don't know how long I've been craving one of your amazing back rubs." She looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe I can finally convince you that Narcissa isn't good enough for you and get you to leave that hag!"

Lucius eyes grew narrow, but he ignored the comment. "Six o'clock then?"

"Sure, I'll be there." She turned to Severus, who looked as if he were about to explode. She furrowed her brow at him. "I'm going to walk Lucius out; I'll come back and finish that when I'm done."

"Don't bother," Severus hissed.

She shrugged her shoulders and putting her arm through Lucius' she led him out the door. Closing it behind her she grabbed his arm and squeezed it. "I'm so glad you came to find me tonight, cousin. It's been way too long since we cavorted around like school children!"

Lucius regarded his favorite cousin with mirth. "You haven't changed a bit Serina. You have always been full of fun."

They walked off arm in arm.

Inside the Potions room, Severus seethed within himself. He had been a fool. He thought that perhaps Serina had liked him, but now it was obvious that she was infatuated with Lucius Malfoy. He wondered how long their little tryst had been going on. They obviously hadn't seen each other in a while. That hadn't seemed to lower their enthusiasm for each other though. He was surprised they didn't just start ripping their clothes off right in front of him.

How could he have been so stupid? Why would Serina ever want him when she could wrap her arms around Lucius? Lucius was blonde and handsome and Severus was just an ugly, angry git. What did his students call him? Bat of the dungeons? Yes, that was it. What a romantic image that conjured up. There was no way he could compete with the tall blonde Adonis that was Lucius Malfoy.

He stared at the two cauldrons. They were both ready, which was fortunate, because he was tempted to vanish both of them away. He left them in any case. He would bottle the contents in the morning. He stalked to the door, extinguished the lights and slammed the door behind him. Stalking to his room in anger he slammed that door too.

* * *

_A/N: Hope you had fun with this chapter. You can probably all imagine how Severus will be acting come the next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next morning at breakfast Serina apologized for leaving Severus with everything so suddenly. He just grunted at her and mumbled something about interfering with her reunion. She decided to leave him alone as he was obviously mad at her for going. But he had told her to not return. Serina chided herself. She should have returned anyway, he was probably expecting her to. She watched Severus as he left the table and stormed out of the room, his cloak billowing behind him. A pang of sadness enveloped her. She certainly didn't want him mad at her. Oh well, she would make it up to him next Wednesday.

* * *

The week had gone by quickly and Serina found herself descending the stairs to the dungeon again. She entered the Potions room tentatively. She was early on purpose. Setting up today was her repentance for leaving Severus the week before. Serina had hardly seen Severus at all during the week and hoped that he wouldn't be curt with her tonight. Glancing around, she noted that the room was empty. She went to the stores room and began getting everything ready. Emerging with her hands full she found Severus at the door, glaring at her.

"I thought I would make up for deserting you last week," she said with a tentative smile on her face.

He scowled at her. "I don't need your help today, Professor Torrington," he snapped.

"But…"

He walked up and loomed above her. "I said I am not in need of your services tonight. You may go," he sneered.

"But…"

"I said to get out! I know you are sometimes slow to understand things, but I cannot be clearer than that. Turn yourself around and leave!" His eyes were menacing and he sneered at her with hatred.

She backed away and cowered before him. He had never been so cold to her, even at the beginning of the year. "Okay," she mumbled and quickly scooted around him. Placing the ingredients haphazardly on the table she quickly made her way to the door. "I'll be back next week then." She looked over her shoulder at him tentatively and saw him scowl at her. She ran for the door.

Out in the hall she stopped to catch her breath. She hadn't realized it but she had been holding it since he towered over her and ordered her to leave. Her heart sank. What had she done to make him be so hateful? A great ball formed in the pit of her stomach. She continued down the hall deep in thought about his blow up. She was at a loss to explain it. Her stomach tied up in knots and she had to stop and clutch at it. Great tears welled up in her eyes and she heaved a great sob.

After the 'Shack Incident,' as she had labeled it, she had thought she had broken through his barrier. He had sat in that deserted house with his arm around her for a great while. She was beginning to think he might actually like her. Later he had been, well, _friendly_. He had actually acted like a normal person, not some secretive recluse. Now he looked at her as if he hated her. When she had seen him those few times during the week, he hadn't even glanced at her. Now he acted as if he couldn't stand the site of her. She felt smaller than a cockroach scurrying across the floor.

She slowly sunk down to the floor as more sobs wracked her body. She had fallen in love with him. She hadn't even realized it until this instant, when her entire body was wracked with pain from his harsh words. Why did all of her relationships end up in tears and pain?

After some time, Serina composed herself and stood up. She wouldn't let him destroy her. She had had too much of a struggle picking up the pieces with John's death, this was nothing compared to that. She straightened out her robes, wiped away her tears, and regally walked through the halls as if nothing had happened.

* * *

They hadn't even spoken to one another the entire week. Whenever they had made eye contact he had scowled at her and turned away. At meals, it seemed that the tension could be cut with a knife. Serina had been tempted to start eating in her room, but she knew that that would arouse Dumbledore's suspicion so she continued to brave the icy waves coming from beside her as she tried to eat. The whole situation had left her with little appetite, to be truthful. Serina even wondered if she should make the long trek down to the dungeons tonight. He obviously didn't value her company anymore. She had, however, given her word that she would help him. She wasn't about to go back on a promise just because her ego was hurt.

She entered the dungeon and found him already busy above his cauldron, placing roots into it. They looked like Valerian roots, but she couldn't be sure from that distance. She walked over to her cauldron and saw a Potions recipe for an antidote for love potion. She snorted to herself and went to get the ingredients she'd need.

Severus glanced up at her when he heard her snort but immediately went back to his stirring. He had chosen to ignore her during the week, but he knew she would be coming down to help him again. After all, she had given her word, and she wasn't one to shirk her responsibilities. He scowled to himself.

Serina returned with her ingredients. The potion was easy enough. Everything was to be placed in water at the same time and boiled for an hour. Severus had ever so kindly filled the cauldron with water. She glared at him from her position over her cauldron while she put the various roots, weeds, and elixirs into the water. He was ignoring her still. She finished filling the cauldron and set a fire under it. Checking the recipe once again, she realized that she had forgotten the rose petals. She went back to the table and picked them up.

Turning around she was just in time to see Severus place more of the same root that he had put in when she had first entered the room into the cauldron. Her eyebrow furrowed. There were few potions that required two doses of Valerian root. Before she had time to mull over which potion it could be, Severus' cauldron exploded sending him flying against the wall. Serina was thrown to the ground and bumped her head against the table. She sat up and tried to get the cobwebs away from her brain. Surveying the situation, she saw a dismal sight. There was smoke everywhere and debris from both cauldrons and their contents strewn in every part of the room. Severus lay unconscious and bloodied on the ground several feet from where he had been standing.

Serina got to her knees and dragged herself to his side. She felt for a pulse. He was still alive, but barely. She was about to pass out. She needed to get help now, before oblivion took her. She removed her wand from her pocket and sent a Patronus from it. She tried to stay conscious as long as she could, but soon she had slumped over Severus' prone body, unaware of anything around her.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for all of your kind comments. I hope you liked this installment. Next chapter: Will they survive to brew again?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Severus awoke to bright light. He opened his eyes and was staring at the ceiling of the infirmary. He groaned, which alerted Poppy to his consciousness.

"Don't move Professor Snape, you need to stay still to recuperate from your injuries."

Severus looked over at Poppy. "What happened?"

"There was an accident in the Potions Lab. You exploded your cauldron Professor. You were lucky that Professor Torrington sent her Patronus or you would probably be dead right now. We barely got you here in time."

Severus lifted his head and looked around wildly. Serina was in the bed across from him. She seemed to be unconscious.

"Serina! Is she alright?" he demanded.

"She's fine. Well, better than you were. She was scratched up a bit and had a concussion, and of course there were some effects from the exploded potion, but she'll be okay."

He sighed with relief. He would never forgive himself if he had caused her to be injured by his stupidity.

"Why is she unconscious?" He got himself to a sitting position, much to Poppy's annoyance. He never listened to her.

"The antidote I had to give to both of you has some interesting side effects. One of them is that it causes an unconscious state for a few hours. It's a bit stronger on women than men. She'll probably be out for the rest of the day." Poppy hesitated and pursed her lips.

"What?" Severus asked pointedly.

"The other side effect is that it increases attraction."

Severus looked at her curiously. He had no idea what she was talking about and told her so.

Huffing Poppy explained, "If you are attracted to someone, Professor, that attraction will be ten fold. It will be extremely hard for you to resist…temptation, to put it bluntly. Is there anyone you would like me to keep from seeing you until tomorrow?" Poppy was well aware of how private Severus was and didn't want his current side effects to effect his healing.

Severus' eyes grew wide and he stared at Serina. Poppy's eyebrows furrowed. "I see. Well, as I said, she'll probably be unconscious for most of the day. The attraction increases the closer in proximity you are to the other person. So if you stay at a distance, you should be alright. The effect should go away in 24 hours. Let me know if I can get you anything or if you're uncomfortable in any way." With that she took her leave, checking on Serina before heading into her office.

Severus stared at Serina's sleeping form. This was just what he needed. Some sort of love potion set loose on him that he couldn't get rid of. He had already made a big enough fool of himself in the Shrieking Shack. Serina certainly didn't feel anything for him and he didn't want her to know of his feelings for her. He hoped beyond hope that she would stay asleep through the night.

He tried to think back to the accident. He couldn't remember anything. How did he explode his cauldron? He was always so meticulous about everything to do with potions creating that he rarely had an accident. He felt incredibly guilty to have caused Serina harm.

He looked again at Serina. She looked small and vulnerable in the bed across from him. He felt so guilty. He would have never forgiven himself if he had hurt her worse. There had been too many accidents in Potions labs which had cost people limbs or even their life. He chided himself for letting his emotions affect his potions making. Whatever he had done, it had been because he was flustered and angry with Serina. He would need to find a way to apologize to her.

Just then the doors opened and in strode Lucius Malfoy. He looked fretfully at the two of them and then wandered over to Serina. He sat on the bed and stroked her cheek.

"How did you get in here?" Severus demanded.

"I was meeting with Dumbledore when the news of your accident was given to him. Is she alright?"

"She's just unconscious." He glowered at Lucius. "I'm fine," he spat.

"Well, I can see that." Lucius retorted.

He stooped down and kissed her forehead and both of her cheeks. He whispered something in Serina's ear, which Severus couldn't hear. Rising from the bed he went over to Severus.

"I'm glad to see that you're not hurt badly Severus, it's just that…Serina is very important to me. I love her very much." He suddenly got a serious look on his face. "Aside from this foolish accident, you will take care of her for me, will you not?"

Severus looked at him, puzzled beyond belief. "Umm, yes?"

"Thank you. Tell her I stopped by please."

And with that he had disappeared out the door. Severus stared after him blankly. He was curious as to why Lucius had asked him to watch over his consort. He shrugged and lay back down again. He took his wand and _Accio'd_ a book to him from the bookshelf. He cracked it open and began to read, his mind whirling with hatred toward Lucius and concern over Serina.

* * *

Serina awoke to darkness. She recognized the infirmary and breathed a sigh of relief. Someone must have received her Patronus and gotten help. She propped herself up on her elbows. Severus was in the bed across from her. He appeared to be asleep. Relieved even more, she arose from the bed and went over to him, just to make sure he was all in one piece.

He was lying on his back. His chest rose and fell gently as he slept. He seemed to be alright. She got closer to him. She suddenly had this insatiable urge to kiss him. She was compelled to sit on the bed. What was she doing? She placed her hands around his face and slowly caressed him. Severus' eyebrows knit together as he felt something. He opened his eyes and found Serina above him, her hands cradling his face.

"Severus, I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered to him huskily and brought her lips to his.

Slowly she kissed him. His eyes snapped open wider as Serina kissed him passionately. He wound his arms around her neck, pulled her closer, and returned the kiss. She was exquisite. He ran his fingers through her hair and continued to press his lips against hers. His kiss was urgent and intense. Serina felt his passion throughout her body.

"Severus," she moaned, bringing him out of his reverie. Then he remembered Poppy's words. It was the attraction side effect. She was attracted to him too! His heart leapt. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time. She actually cared about him. Then he thought of Lucius. He thought about the affair she was having with him. Was she attracted to both of them? Struggling to get a hold of his emotions, he pushed her away from him.

"Severus, I l-," she started to say.

"Serina!" he bellowed to break the charms effect. She looked at him a little shocked.

"Poppy explained to me that the side effect of the cure she used for us increases attraction between people. Distance lessens the effect. You must go back to your bed and go back to sleep. This isn't the time to pursue any feelings we may have for one another."

Serina looked at him curiously. She bent closer to him, trying to kiss him again. Severus used all of his will to push her away.

"You must return to your bed. Now!" he cried.

The situation slowly made itself plain to her and she gasped. She fought the great urge to envelop Severus in a huge hug or shower him with more kisses. She stood from the bed. Without a word, she turned and fled back to her own bed, filled with embarrassment. At least from this far away, she was unlikely to lose her mind again. She covered her head with the pillow and wished she could literally dissolve into nothing. Tears threatened to burst from her.

Severus watched her from his bed. She was hiding under her pillow, but he thought she was crying. She was embarrassed. It was probably because she had just cheated on Malfoy. Of course, Malfoy cheating on his wife was perfectly okay. He pulled the covers over himself and turned in the bed, trying to find a comfortable place where he could go back to sleep. Now not only did he have to deal with her being all over Lucius, the searing passion behind her kiss would haunt him for the rest of his life as something he could never have again.

* * *

Poppy released her the next morning. Serina didn't even glance at Severus as she left, too embarrassed by her actions the previous night to look him in the eye. He practically hated her and she had gone and fallen all over him. How could she have been so foolish? And why did she entangle herself in this difficult relationship anyway? It was like she looked for trouble subconsciously and headed straight for it.

Serina couldn't understand why Severus was so coldhearted. He growled and sneered at everyone, even those who gave him a kind word. What would it take to get behind that rough exterior and see the real Severus Snape? She knew it was there, she had had glimpses of it. He could actually be quite thoughtful when he put his mind to it. Unfortunately, she didn't see him becoming that way toward her again anytime soon. The past couple of weeks had proven to her that he loathed her. She was only good enough to scowl at and to laugh about when he saw her do something foolish. He was probably laughing at her retreating form right now. She hung her head as she walked back to her room. She would never be able to look Severus Snape in the face again.

She continued down the hallway, deep in thought. Rehashing the night before in her mind, she came upon a startling revelation. Severus was attracted to her! He had kissed her just as passionately as she had kissed him. Now she was really confused. If he had feelings for her, why had he been so horrible to her? She shook her head as she reached her door. She opened it and threw herself onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. Would she ever understand that man? Just when he seemed to be one thing, he turned out to be something else. Why on earth would he pretend to hate her if he really liked her? She grunted in exasperation. She would deal with this another time. She was tired. Getting up, she went into the bedroom and went to bed, even though it was still morning.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. The truth about Lucius and Serina comes out next chapter. I hope you all like fireworks. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Severus knocked on Serina's door. He heard her call for him to enter and he opened it tentatively and stepped inside her room. He saw Serina glance up at him from her seat and turn red.

"I see Poppy has set you free finally. Are you feeling alright?" she asked him. She was so embarrassed about the other night that she could barely make eye contact with him.

He nodded at her curtly. He seemed to be as embarrassed by the whole situation as she was.

"Listen Severus, I'm sorry my feelings got the best of me the other night. It won't happen again." She managed a glance up at him.

He only stared at her.

She heaved a great sigh. "So we're back to the silent treatment, is that it?"

Severus was suddenly angry; thoughts of Lucius filling his mind. A sneer came over his face. "I was surprised to find that you had feelings for me at all," he snapped.

"If I recall correctly, you returned my kiss, so you must have some for me also." She looked at him, daring him to challenge her assumption.

"I do, but…" he hesitated. "I thought you were in love with Lucius."

Serina stared at him in amazement, and then she blanched openly. "Eew, that's disgusting!"

After a moment she realized he wasn't kidding about his presupposition. "There are two things that are very wrong with that statement, Severus. First of all he's a married man! I'm not the type to chase after a man who is already taken, even if I can't stand the sight of his wife! Secondly, he's my cousin for Merlin's sake!"

Severus swallowed hard, "Lucius is your _cousin_?"

Realization dawned on her. These few weeks of silence and coldness from him, here was the answer. The fool had been jealous. She rose from her chair and took a few steps toward him.

"You thought I was attracted to Lucius, that's why you've been so cold? He's my cousin. We grew up living on the same block. We spent every waking minute together from the time we could both walk. Yes, I love Lucius Malfoy. I love him like my brother! Maybe even better than my brother because unlike my brother, he never beat me up!"

She wheeled around and started pacing back and forth. Anger consumed her and she waved her hands animatedly as she walked. "Here I've been worrying that I had said something or done something to anger you, when you've just been jealous this whole time. I was actually upset about you being so rude, thinking it was my fault! I am so sick of you and your moods! You think that you are entitled to treat people like dirt. I don't know why you think you're so privileged that you can go about snarling at everyone who tries to get close to you." She stopped and turned to look at him. "What are you so afraid of? You can lie to Voldemort's face, yet you won't let your guard down to have a decent relationship with anyone. There's something wrong in your head Severus Snape!" The last bit was italicized by her finger pointing in his face.

She glowered at him, enraged. "You know, you could have just asked me about Lucius. That would have been nice and easy, but no! You make up some lewd story about the two of us and punish _me_ for it." She slapped him across the face. "How dare you! Who do you think you are? How could you make me feel badly for something I didn't even do! Why is it that if you don't get your way you act like a spoiled child?" Her eyes narrowed at him. "Well I have had enough of it: enough of you, enough of your moods, and enough of your silence. Get out of here. I never want to set eyes on you again!"

Severus rubbed his face where her hand had struck. "Serina, I'm…"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it. Just get out!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to the door. She pushed him out of it mercilessly and slammed it in his face. Staring at the closed door, she wanted to scream! Suddenly she felt the scream tear from her chest as if it had a life of its own; so much for keeping her cool. She balled her fists and screamed louder, stamping her foot to release more tension.

Temporarily mollified, she realized she needed some fresh air. She also needed to talk to someone about this. She thought about who would be available at this time of the day and who she would be willing to confide in. She really needed to talk with Lucius. He always gave her good advice about everything, surely he could shed some light on his friend's actions. If not, at least he could be a sounding board for her to vent to. She knew Narcissa would be home, but she needed her cousin's clear mind to help her sort out her anger about this whole mess. She turned and got her cloak.

Severus stood outside Serina's door in shock. Lucius was her cousin? That explained their actions. What had he done? He had ruined everything.

Suddenly her door opened and she emerged with her cloak on. She stared hatefully at him as she proceeded from her room and walked down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Severus asked her.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going to see my _lover_, Lucius," she snapped and continued on her way.

"Serina wait!" He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She tugged it out of his grasp.

"Keep your hands off me," she growled.

The venom in her voice made him take a step back. He sat speechless as she stalked off down the hall and to the stairway and disappeared out of sight. He finally composed himself and shrugged his shoulders. He calmly walked to the stairwell and followed her down them, not stopping until he reached the dungeons and returned to his room. Shutting the door behind him he conjured up a fire in the fireplace and flung himself into his wing backed chair. He folded his arms and stared into the fire, deep in thought.

* * *

_A/N: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Will Lucius be able to calm her down, or has Severus blown it big time? Probably a little of both, huh? Tune in next time. You guys are out there, right? I feel lonely without your reviews. :) Enjoy life!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Serina appeared in front of Malfoy Manor and placed her hands on the gate. She wiped some stray tears from her face as she walked through to the door and knocked. She told the butler that she needed to speak with Lucius and not to alert Narcissa of her presence. He ushered her into the sitting room, where she stood looking out a window, her arms crossed in front of her. She was lost in thought and didn't hear Lucius enter behind her.

"Serina! I'm glad you came by. I visited you in the hospital the other day, but you were unconscious. Did Severus tell you I stopped by? How are you feeling?"

Her anger abated a bit at the sound of Lucius' voice. She turned and gave him a great bear hug. "I'm fine. I really wasn't hurt very badly."

Lucius hugged her back. "I'm glad. What brings you over? I thought you would never set foot in my home when my wife was here."

She backed away from him a little and stared into his eyes. "I need to speak with you."

Lucius looked at her with concern. "Come, sit down." He motioned to the sofa and took a seat next to her when she had settled in. "What on earth is wrong? You don't look yourself, Serina."

A bit of her anger returned as she began to explain to Lucius what was going on. "It's Severus."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Now what has he gone and done?"

Her eyes narrowed. "He thought that you and I were having an affair. Can you believe it? He accused me of basically sleeping with you behind Narcissa's back!"

Lucius laughed at that.

"It's not funny!"

"Yes it is. Oh, I could tell his cagy mind was conjuring up all sorts of things that day I visited you in his dungeon. Then when I said I loved you in the infirmary the other day, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. I wondered if he knew we were cousins. That's rich!" He laughed harder.

"You suspected that he thought we were…together and said nothing?"

"You have to understand, Serina. Severus is one of my oldest friends." Lucius said between chuckles. "It is very hard to rankle him in any way, and I just couldn't contain myself to see him bothered by a few hugs between the two of us." His mirth seemed endless.

Serina's anger boiled within herself again. "He has treated me like a pariah since then, Lucius. I don't think it's funny at all."

Lucius looked a little uncomfortable. "His actions have upset you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to hurt you."

"He wouldn't speak to me. I would ask him what I had done to upset him and he would just grunt at me. You know him well Lucius, why does he have to be like that?"

Lucius smiled at her. "Serina, he fancies you! It was tearing him up to think that you had feelings for me, especially since I'm already married."

Serina sat grimly as he spoke. "He admitted to having feelings for me, but I was so angry at him for his assumptions, I just threw him out of my room."

"You have every right to be angry at him. He has treated you unfairly. Do you want me to beat him up for you? Maybe…hex him?"

"What! No! Why would I want that?"

He grinned at her. "You fancy him too, don't you?"

"Lucius Malfoy, I have no need for you to play matchmaker!" She looked at him with exasperation. "Yes, if you must know, I do _fancy_ him." She spat out the word at him as if it was poison.

"So of course you're angry with Severus for treating you poorly."

"Of course," she replied indignantly.

"You probably want to hex him yourself you're so mad."

"Yes, you could say that."

"But in reality you just want to throw your arms around him and give him a great big kiss, right?"

She turned red. "Lucius, stop it! I came to you for help, not to be goaded and teased about my attraction to Severus."

"I'm not teasing you. The real reason you're so angry is that you like him. If anyone else had acted this way you would have laughed at their stupidity and that would have been that. You're ready to tear the poor man's head off right now and you're probably not half as mad as you were when he told you of his suspicions about us."

She looked a bit sheepish.

"I was so angry I slapped him," Serina confided.

"Oh, to have been a fly on that wall!" Lucius muttered. "What did he do? Did he snarl at you? Yell?"

Serina put her head in her hands. "No, he just looked at me wide eyed, like a lost puppy."

"Well now, this just gets better and better," Lucius mumbled to himself.

Serina rolled her eyes. Why did he always make her life into a Soap Opera? Not that he knew what a Soap Opera was, but she did, and he had a knack of making her tragedies into something epic. Of course, there usually was some point behind his making a big deal of everything. That's one of the reasons she trusted his opinion so much.

Of course he had been right. She had been infuriated with Severus. He was right about another thing too. If anyone else had suggested that she and Lucius were having an affair she would have laughed her head off, much the way Lucius had just done. She reviewed her reactions, trying to figure out why she had been so angry.

After a few minutes of silence between the two she said, "You know, I'm madder at how he treated me more than anything else."

"Severus is a hard man. He doesn't let his guard down easily and when he does, if he feels threatened, he shuts himself up and doesn't come out for a while."

"That's exactly what he did." She thought about Lucius' words for a moment. "It makes it very difficult to get close to him."

Lucius smiled at her. "Now you're beginning to see the complexity that is Severus Snape."

She grimaced. "I'm not sure I want to deal with that on a day to day basis."

"Serina, he won't be that way all the time. If he sees you truly care for him, he'll lighten up. Maybe he'll even be nice to you. He's generally nice to Narcissa and me. And remember how he was with Lily Potter at school?"

She reflected on what she had seen of him during school. He and Lily had been virtually inseparable. From what she had seen he had always treated her with respect. She thought of how nice he had been after the Shack incident also. She regarded Lucius curiously.

"I don't know if I have the energy to even get to that point again with him." She sighed and looked down at her lap.

Lucius bent over so he could see her downcast eyes. "You care about him don't you?"

She nodded.

"Then it's worth your time to try. You may find something priceless comes from your efforts."

She gave him a sidelong glance.

"I'm not just going to let him get away with his actions, Lucius."

"I'm not suggesting that you should, just realize where they come from and," he tilted her head so she was looking directly at him, "don't hold a grudge."

She pondered his words for a while and finally nodded. Before Lucius could do anything Serina had thrown her arms around him.

"You're right, thank you, Lucius. Now is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"Just get out of here, before Narcissa discovers you here and hexes me into next week."

They both laughed and Serina rose to take her leave. "You really are the best cousin a girl could ask for, you know."

Lucius got a smug look on his face. "Oh, I know. I know all about it."

With that she turned and left. Lucius stared after her, hoping that she would find happiness in the snarky Potions Master and that Severus would be able to let his guard down and acknowledge the beautiful woman who was willing to give him her heart.

* * *

_A/N: So what do you think? We haven't seen anything but evil, nasty Lucius Malfoy and I'm not sure if he's in character or not in this chapter. Let me know your opinion. Hope you liked it. Up next: Severus and Serina have another "talk." I love hearing from all of you._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Serina sat in her room trying to read. She couldn't concentrate at all, but she still made the attempt. When she had returned to Hogwarts, she had debated going to Severus' room immediately, but had decided against it. They both needed time to think, and he needed to approach her with an apology before she was going to search him out.

That had been three days ago. She had taken dinner in her rooms that night and he had not been at any meals since then. She didn't even see him stalking the halls like she usually did. It seemed he was doing everything he could to stay away from her. Being the spy he was, she was sure that if he didn't want to be seen, he wouldn't be. She was beginning to think they would avoid each other for the rest of the year. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She rose and opened it to find Severus standing there looking miserable. She frowned at him.

Severus gave her a pleading look and asked to be let in. "Just give me five minutes," he implored.

Serina contemplated his words for a minute. He did seem to be in agony. She opened the door wider and motioned for him to take a seat on the couch. She settled into the other sofa across from him.

"Serina, I came to apologize to you. I know saying I'm sorry is not going to make anything different, but it's the only thing I can do to begin to make amends for thinking so horridly of you."

Serina looked at him for a while and said nothing. She noticed him begin to fidget under her glare. Finally she deemed him worthy of an answer.

"You know, Severus, when I was talking with Lucius, I realized that I'm not half as mad about your assumption as I am hurt as to how you reacted to it," she said sorrowfully.

"Do I need to fear retribution from your cousin now for my stupidity?"

"Actually, he found the whole affair to be quite hilarious," Serina informed him.

Severus seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "Would you care to elaborate?" he queried.

"He knew from the start that you thought we were…involved. He thought it would be funny to "rankle" you, as he put it. The man darn near fell on the floor laughing he was so tickled that you took his bait. Did he really tell you he loved me?"

Severus scowled. "Yes."

"Well that was hardly fair. But that's really beside the point." She looked down at her hands and mulled over what she wanted to say. "I wish you had just asked me about it. I assumed that you knew we were cousins."

"I'm a spy Serina, I don't ask people questions, I observe and make assumptions."

Serina thought about that for a minute. "I guess I can understand that," she relented. "That still doesn't justify your behavior toward me." She was looking directly at him now.

"Serina, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

Serina calmly answered, "No, Severus, you did mean to hurt me. You wanted me to feel small and alone. You were trying to punish me for something I didn't even do. I can't even explain to you how horrible you made me feel."

Severus lowered his eyes to the floor.

"I'm not angry anymore, I'm just really hurt. I thought we were friends." Her voice broke a bit. "How can you treat a friend like that? Why would you ever be so cruel to someone you supposedly cared about?"

Severus glanced up at her. Tears were flowing silently down her face. He had rarely felt this awful and guilty. Her tears continued freely as she looked at him. He wished he could be the one who was small and insignificant now. He wanted to just disappear into the floorboards so he wouldn't have to see her tear stained face filled with anguish. He rose from his seat and went over to her. Sitting next to her he pulled her to him. 

"I was a fool," Severus confessed. "I have never been able to control my anger when I feel hurt. I'm sorry. I treated you awfully and I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to speak with me again."

They stayed like that for a while, Serina silently crying into Severus' chest and he caressing her arm as he held her in an embrace. Finally Serina straightened up, wiping the tears from her eyes. Severus conjured up a handkerchief for her and she took it and wiped away the straggling tears and blew her nose. She vanished it away and glanced at Severus. He was watching her miserably. Serina began to chuckle. Severus looked at her strangely, which caused her to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Severus asked.

She laughed again. "We both look so pathetic! I'm a weepy mess and you look like you're going to go into cardiac arrest."

Severus only watched her solemnly as she shook her head. "You came here to sincerely apologize and I accept your apology Severus."

Severus watched her. He needed to explain himself to her. He hesitated for a second before speaking. "Everything you said about me is true, Serina. I push everyone away. I don't want to be close to anyone because that makes me vulnerable."

Serina turned herself so she was facing him. "You need to understand that sometimes letting yourself be vulnerable can have wonderful consequences, not just heartbreaking ones."

"I doubt that."

"Severus, I am not Lily."

He looked back at her, wishing he could make her see what he was trying to say. "I know you're not, but it will come to the same end."

Furrowing her brow, Serina said, "You don't know that it will. Lily was foolish to push you away. I think she did you more harm than she realized." She cocked her head and studied him. "I wouldn't have driven you away like that."

"I did something unforgivable."

"What on earth could you have done that was unforgivable, Severus?"

He told her the whole sordid tale, from James Potter stringing him up in the tree and removing his trousers to his hated response to Lily's help.

"I was so embarrassed, I yelled at her for helping me and called her a..." he looked down, "a filthy Mudblood." His voice was barely a whisper as he uttered the last words.

Serina's eyes widened in surprise. "I can see how she would have been upset with you," she said sadly.

Severus looked back to her. "I later tried to apologize to her, over and over again in fact, but she wouldn't hear a word I had to say. She just said she couldn't deal with the way I had changed and wanted nothing to do with me."

Serina looked at him angrily.

"See, you agree with her," Severus said. "You're angry with me too. What I did was unforgivable." Severus cast his eyes down, knowing he had probably lost another friend because of his actions. 

"I'm not angry with you, Severus. I'm angry with Lily. What did she expect from you? You were hanging from a tree in your underwear! Anyone who knows you would know that you would be livid and lash out at anyone trying to help, especially if you liked that person. What you said was horrible, but she should have understood the circumstances. She should have forgiven you. Friends forgive each other. She was your best friend, and yet she didn't have the decency to forgive you? I think she was incredibly foolish to throw away several years of friendship over some nasty words said in the heat of the moment!"

"You don't know what I was like back then. She didn't like the friends I had or the way I spent my time either."

"For heaven's sake Severus, we went to school together. I wasn't blind. And you keep forgetting that I'm Lucius' cousin. He talked about you often. I know quite a bit more about your past than you realize."

"She had every right to turn me away."

Serina pursed her lips. "Perhaps she did at first, but she was very petty to _continue_ turning you away. I mean, you had apologized, hadn't you? What did she want from you? I'm sorry, I just don't get it. I have had some friends say some pretty awful things to me, but we've always managed to patch things up in the end, because we're friends."

"Like the way you've forgiven me for being a total fool?"

Serina grinned shyly at him, but said nothing.

"You are an honorable and loyal woman, Serina. I appreciate your willingness to give a stupid idiot another chance at being friends with you."

Serina blushed, making the memories he had recently uncovered from her potion flood back to him. "There's something I don't quite understand though. If you were aware of my nefarious dealings in school, how is it you still turned red every time you made eye contact with me?"

She turned a deeper red, her eyes widening slightly. "I told you I always found you striking." She averted his eyes and stared at her knees, suddenly finding them fascinating.

"I was foolish not to get to know you all those years ago. Maybe I would have chosen a different path."

She looked back up at him. "You eventually chose the right path."

Severus looked away. "Yes, but my actions caused many deaths, including Lily's."

"Severus, that wasn't your fault."

"Serina, I heard the prophecy, I reported it to Voldemort. It was completely my fault."

Serina knew about his involvement in the prophecy, but she hadn't realized how strongly he had blamed himself for the Potter's deaths for all of these years. 

"He would have come to that conclusion no matter what you did," she contested.

"No, he wouldn't have. There was no need for him to take excessive notice of them had it not been for the prophecy. I heard it, I reported it, and I killed Lily and James Potter, just as if I had cast the curse myself."

"If you hadn't been outside that door, some other Death Eater would have been. His hearing that prophecy was inevitable. It's not your fault." 

She took Severus' chin and twisted his face so he was looking directly into her eyes. His eyes were filled with pain and guilt. 

"It's not your fault, do you understand me? It's not your fault."

Doubt swam in his eyes.

Serina pulled Severus to her and hugged him. "It's not your fault, Severus. You can't think that it is. He would have done it anyway. You had no control over him or his plans."

Severus gripped Serina tightly and buried his head in her shoulder. "I tried to protect her," he whispered solemnly. "I told Dumbledore and he made their house unplottable and helped them set up the wards. I thought she would be safe. I thought they all would be safe."

Serina rubbed his back comfortingly. "You did all you could to protect them, then, didn't you? It's not your fault. You need to throw away that guilt."

"No! It is my fault. They would be alive today if it wasn't for me!"

Serina pulled Severus away from her and grabbed his face again. "If you hadn't been outside of that door, what would have happened?"

"Someone else would have been there," he said gloomily.

"And what would they have done with the information you heard?"

"The same thing I did."

"And would they have gone to great lengths to protect the Potters after they realized what Voldemort's plans were?"

"No," he sighed, "they would have helped him find them faster," Severus said in defeat.

"So in essence, you gave them more time together as a family by your actions, did you not?"

Realization dawned on Severus with Serina's words. He had never thought about it like that. Her hands still surrounded his face. He grasped them to pull them away, but she would not let him.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts." Looking more serious than she ever had she repeated to him, emphasizing every word, "_It's…not…your…fault!_ Severus, please, trust me about this."

He was finally able to remove her hands from his face. He grasped them in his. "I never really thought about it that way," he confided to her.

"Well, maybe you should," Serina said defiantly, her head tilted and an eyebrow arched at him.

A small smile escaped Severus' lips with her remark. "Would you mind it if I left for a while? I need to think." 

Serina nodded. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, then?"

Severus nodded back. He arose and left. His mind was racing. All of these years Dumbledore had been trying to convince him of his innocence in regards to the Potter murders. He had never been persuasive enough for Severus to actually believe him. Yet in a matter of a few minutes, Serina had given him an argument that he was hard pressed to be able to find holes with. Maybe she was right and it hadn't been his fault entirely, but had he actually been able to extend their lives somewhat? Perhaps he had. He would need to sleep on that one.

He had arrived at his room and was standing in the doorway, lost in thought. Realizing he was exhausted from the battle that had been raging silently between them these last few days, he headed for the bedroom. He paused as he noticed that he felt lighter somehow. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of him. He sighed and changed into some sleepwear and crawled into bed, forgetting about everything as sleep overtook him.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews. The Lily stuff in this chapter really wasn't pre-planned out. It just kind of flowed one thing into another. Hope it makes sense and doesn't seem contrived. Happy reading. :)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Serina entered her room with a concerned look on her face. She had been waiting for Severus at breakfast, but he never showed up. Of course, it was the weekend and many teachers chose to sleep in, but after their conversation yesterday, she wanted to make sure that he was alright. She contemplated going to his room, but she decided against it. He would search her out when he was ready for company.

* * *

Severus awoke to blackness. His room was always black as there were no windows. He found his wand and muttered _Lumos_ and the room burst into light. Squinting, he found his clock and saw that it was almost noon. He looked at the clock in astonishment. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so late.

Getting up, he went into the bathroom and got in the shower. He felt different this morning, almost cheerful. Lighthearted would be a better description. Years of guilt had seemed to melt off him overnight. He finally understood the events that had happened so long ago. Yes, he had heard the prophecy and he had been at fault for telling the Dark Lord about it, but that was where his guilt had ended. He smiled as relief flooded him. He hadn't been the cause of Lily's death. That fell solely on the shoulders of Voldemort himself. He wondered why it had taken him so long to come to that conclusion.

He stood there as water coursed over his back. Serina had truly worked a miracle. He needed a way to thank her. His breath quickened as he thought of her. He thought of the way she turned red when she was embarrassed. Then he thought of that night in the infirmary. Their kiss seared through his thoughts. He wanted her to kiss him like that all of the time. He smiled as he formed a plan to confess his love for her.

* * *

Serina jumped when there was a knock at her door. She had been engrossed in a Muggle magazine about electronics and had been lost to the outside world. Throwing the magazine down, she raced to the door, hoping it was Severus on the other side. She opened it to find him smiling at her. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. 

_Boy does he look sexy! _Serina thought.

"So are you ready?" he asked her.

Looking at him quizzically she replied, "Ready for what?"

"Are you ready to go?"

Even more puzzled she asked, "Go where?"

"You said we'd meet after breakfast!" he teased.

"I said no such thing! Besides, it's well after lunch now."

"Are you ready or not?" 

"Where are we going?"

He smiled again. "You'll see."

She gave him an exasperated look and motioned for him to come in. "No, I'm not ready, but I will be in a minute." Motioning at her robes she asked, "Is this satisfactory for wherever we're going?" 

The robes were a sapphire blue that picked up the color of her eyes extremely well. Severus eyed her appreciatively and only nodded. She shook her head and walked to the coat closet. Removing a cloak and some boots, she went over to a chair and sat down. She pulled on one boot while watching Severus. There was something different about him. He seemed infinitely more relaxed. He even seemed to be happy. Pulling on the second boot she stood and threw the cloak around her.

"Okay, I'm ready. Now tell me where we're off to," she demanded.

"I told you, you'll see," he replied, his eyes twinkling.

"What on earth has gotten into you?" Serina exclaimed as he took her arm and walked her to the door.

He didn't reply as they entered the hall and made their way to the stairs. Before she knew it they had descended them, walked out the doors, and made their way to the school's gates. As they exited them, Severus took a better hold of Serina's arm and looked over at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"I suppose so," she said, eyeing him curiously.

With that he turned on the spot and they disapparated, appearing a moment later at the back of the Shrieking Shack. Severus smiled down at Serina as she looked quizzically at the old house. 

"What are we doing here?" she asked him.

"Building new memories," he responded. 

Grabbing her hand he pulled her toward the Shack and removed the board to give them entry. They both squeezed through the space and Severus took his wand and chanted _Incendio. _A fire sprang up in the fireplace. He went over to the old beaten up couch and transfigured it into something comfortable and levitated it over to sit in front of the fire. Taking Serina's hand again, he led her to the couch and they both sat down. Soon they were mesmerized by the fire.

Finally Severus turned to Serina and broke the silence. "I wanted to thank you for last night. You presented an argument that I couldn't refute. I feel like a great weight has been lifted off me."

Blushing, she confessed, "I'm glad I was able to help." 

Serina suddenly felt nervous inside. Severus was staring at her intently and it made her insides tingle. She gave him a quick smile and looked away, turning a darker red than before.

Severus delighted in her awkwardness. It was just further proof of her affection for him. He could contain himself no longer and reached out and took her hand.

"I have something for you." 

Serina's eyebrows rose as she looked back at him.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a box. It was rectangular in shape, flat and made of a dark wood that was hinged on one side. He handed it to Serina who had scooted back a bit and had turned toward him pulling her leg up on the couch. She caught her breath and gave him a curious look. She took the box from him. Placing it on the couch in between the two of them, she carefully lifted the lid. Inside was a necklace lying on black velvet. There was a thin round collar of spun silver that twined around itself and sparked. At the base of the circlet sat a sapphire in a diamond cut. It was surrounded by rays that shot away from the stone. Each ray was made up of several small diamonds. The whole thing sparkled happily at her.

Serina's eyes grew wide and she pulled her hands away from the box as if she had been shocked. She scooted back, recoiling away from the necklace and looked up into Severus' puzzled eyes.

The smile had fallen from his face. "You don't like it?" he asked tentatively. 

Looking at Severus with new understanding, she responded, "Of course I do. It's lovely." She gave him a small smile.

"Serina, is something wrong?" Severus asked. She was acting very oddly.

Her eyes looked around the Shack and settled back on him. "It was you! It has always been you!" was all that she said.

Even more confused, Severus stared into her eyes and demanded gently, "Would you mind filling me in on the rest of the conversation that's going on in your head?"

Serina composed herself and closed the necklace box up. She moved it to her other side as she slid closer to Severus. Looking back at the fire she began.

"About a year after John died, I began to have a recurring dream. I have had it every night since."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that.

"In the dream I am here, in this shack with a man. I can never see his face. For a long time I thought it was John, but then I finally realized that this wasn't a dream about some past event, it was foretelling the future." She continued to stare into the fire as Severus listened intently.

"In the dream, I know that the man and I love each other and that we're soul mates. He gives me something. It's a box. When I open it," she took the box from off the couch and opened it, "this necklace is inside."

Severus stared at the necklace, his eyes wide.

"I have dreamt of this moment every day. I have seen this necklace and wondered who the man was who would give it to me. It was you all along."

Severus inched closer to her. "Is there any more to this dream?" he asked her.

"Y-yes, but I…I'm embarrassed to tell you." She avoided his eyes. 

Severus moved so that he was right next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew up to her so their faces were inches apart. 

"In the dream did I tell you that I loved you and never wanted to be without you again?"

Serina tried to inch away, but Severus wouldn't let her budge. "Yes," she finally said.

"And then what happened?" he asked sultrily.

Serina hesitated, searching his eyes for some kind of sign. "I told you I loved you too and we kissed."

"Do you love me too?" he asked, so close to her that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Incredibly so," she whispered.

He smiled and his lips found hers, kissing her softly. Serina was glad she was sitting because otherwise she would have fallen to the ground; her legs had become so weak. They lost each other in the kiss. Nothing existed but the two of them. He was so gentle with her, as if she might shatter if he demanded too much. After a while, he pulled away from her, his eyes filled with emotion.

"You are quite the fortune teller," he told her while caressing her cheek.

She smiled at him. "Only in this matter," she replied.

"So was that the end of your dream?" he asked and kissed her cheek.

"Pretty much," she said.

"What does that mean?"

"That means that that is all that's worth telling right now."

"Are there tales for later?" He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arm around her. They snuggled together on the couch.

"Not really," she replied. She looked up and kissed him. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

Looking at her crossly he replied, "You're impossible."

"That's why we get along so famously," she smiled. 

He arched an eyebrow at her as she settled into him. There was obviously more to her dream, but she was not yet ready to tell him.

* * *

_A/N: I'll be out of town for the next week. I'll try and get a new chapter up for the next weekend, or that following Monday, the latest. Review, review, review. (that means you.)_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next few weeks seemed to go by in a blur. Severus and Serina spent every waking moment together. They comfortably spent evenings brewing together and made numerous trips to Hogsmeade. They often found themselves in the privacy of the Shrieking Shack, a fire blazing, enjoying the closeness of each other.

Soon it was Christmas Holiday. They were in Severus quarters, both reading in separate armchairs. Serina wasn't really concentrating on her book, however. She wondered what Severus' plans were for the holiday. If she remembered correctly, as a student he had always seemed rather glum as Christmas approached. Serina was originally going to visit her family, but she wondered if Severus would want her to stay with him. She would much rather be with him for the holidays anyway.

She glanced over at him and cleared her throat. Severus' eyes glanced up at her from his book.

"What are your Christmas plans, Severus? Are you visiting family?" she asked tentatively. She didn't know why she was being so shy on the matter. They could talk about anything from potions to intimate details of their lives, but she was getting nervous asking him about his plans for holiday.

"I have no family which I wish to see," he told her. "I am just going to stay here as I usually do."

"Do you want some company?" she asked as a sly grin graced her face.

He gazed levelly at her, pushing down the small spark of excitement that had come upon him at her invitation.

"I thought you were going to be with your family."

"I am, but I could come back early and spend Christmas day with you." She bit her lip as she waited for his answer.

"I would like that."

* * *

Serina apparated in front of the Hogwarts gates. She had been with her parents and brother for several days now and looked rested and happy. They had had a lovely time exchanging gifts the night before. She had been slightly sad to leave early, but she was looking forward to spending Christmas Day with Severus.

She eased through the gates and headed for the door, a large gift in her hand. She entered the school and headed for the stairway that led to the dungeons. Deep in thought she quickly swept down the stairs and found herself at his doorway before even her mind realized it.

She raised her hand and knocked. At his call for her to enter, she eagerly opened the door and burst through.

"Happy Christmas!" she exclaimed to Severus.

He looked up at her from his place by the fire. A warm smile passed his lips as she eagerly placed his gift on the table and rushed over to him. Throwing her arms around him she gave him a great hug, which he returned.

"It's only been a few days, but I've missed you terribly!" Serina cried.

His smile brightened as he returned her hug. Kissing her on the cheek, he told her he had missed her as well.

"So what have you been doing with yourself, all by yourself?" she asked him as she pulled a chair close to his and sat down.

"I've been reading a lot and preparing for the next semester. I have also been pestered by the Headmaster almost every day. He says he wants to make sure I'm not becoming a hermit."

Serina laughed out loud. "He's about twenty years too late," she quipped.

She told him about her visit home and how her family had been happy to hear that she was doing so well at her job. They had been surprised to hear about Severus being in her life, but had been enthusiastic about the relationship.

"Oh! I almost forgot your present!" she exclaimed as she rose and went back to the table to get it.

Lifting the large box, she brought it over to Severus and set it on his lap. Settling back in her chair, she waited for him to open it. He looked at the present and ripped the silver paper away. Inside was a large wooden box that was covered in dark green velvet. It appeared to be rather old. The corners were left uncovered and the dark wood was polished to a high sheen. Just the box itself was beautiful; he couldn't imagine what it held. He carefully lifted the lid and peered inside. Lying in the box was an antique apothecary set. It seemed to be Muggle in origin. The box was filled with beakers and flasks and test tubes. He smiled down at the contents and lifted the largest beaker to get a better look at it.

"I found this in an old Muggle antique store. I thought you might find it interesting as many of the tools are somewhat similar to magical apothecary items." She gave him a quick smile.

"It's extraordinary Serina. Thank you."

He closed the box and placed it on the floor next to his chair. Getting up he came to Serina and, kneeling in front of her chair, he kissed her lovingly. Serina placed a hand on his neck as she returned his kiss. Finally they separated, but Severus did not move to get up.

"My present isn't nearly as large as yours, but it is old," he told her.

She raised an eyebrow to him as he reached into his robes and pulled something out of them. He held it clasped in his hand so she could not see what it was exactly. With his free hand, he grasped hers.

"Serina, I know we haven't been together for very long, but I have felt a closeness with you that I have never felt with anyone before. I have reflected on the dream that you told me about and I truly do feel that you are my 'soul mate' as you put it when you described the dream that night. I know that there was more to that dream that you wouldn't tell me. I only hope that this is a part of it."

He opened his hand to reveal a small box. Opening it, he revealed an engagement ring. It was made of silver gold with a large circular diamond. Surrounding the diamond were green emeralds. Serina gasped and her eyes grew wide.

"Serina, will you marry me?"

Serina's eyes filled with tears. She threw her arms around Severus and almost knocked him to the floor. He reached a hand out to steady himself as she threw herself at him.

"Of course I'll marry you, Severus! I love you with all of my heart!"

She kissed him then. Amazed that he could do two things at once, he eased them to the floor while kissing her passionately. After the kiss, he reverently removed the ring from its box and placed it on her finger. She waved her fingers and admired it.

"Severus, it's beautiful. You said it was old, where's it from?"

"It was my Great Great Grandmother's. It has passed along from one Snape matriarch to the next for several generations."

Serina smiled and kissed him again. Severus pulled away before they could get too involved in the kiss.

"Don't think you're going to avoid the issue, witch. Did you or did you not dream about this aspect of our relationship also?"

She blushed in the way he found so attractive and nodded her head.

"Yes, it was part of my dream, but I was afraid I'd scare you off if I told you."

"You will never scare me off, you're stuck with me," he joked. "What else are you hiding from me?" he demanded.

"I just know that we will be happy. A couple of kids come along after a while, and then the dream pretty much ends."

"Kids! I have a hard time imagining being a father. Are you sure? How many?" His eyes narrowed at her.

She regarded him curiously. "Of course I'm sure. There were two, a boy and a girl. Come to think of it, I should have realized you were the man in my dreams before. They look just like you."

"How unfortunate for them," he said dryly.

She laughed. "Our children will be beautiful, you'll see."

Pulling her closer he whispered, "I'll have to take your word for it. Happy Christmas."

His lips found hers and they shared an all consuming kiss.

* * *

_A/N: Well, I'm back. Hope you liked it. Review, review, review._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

They settled on a June wedding a week after school ended. It was somewhat private. Severus felt no need to invite anyone, but Serina had balked at not having her family present at her nuptials. Even Narcissa Malfoy had graced them with her presence, hanging on Lucius arm, glowering at Serina the whole while.

Severus stood proudly next to Serina as they waited for Dumbledore to start the ceremony. They had both agreed that they would rather have no one else bind their marriage. He smiled benevolently at them as they clasped hands, awaiting their vows. Finally he cleared his throat and began the ceremony.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Severus Snape and Serina Torrington. They are here to publicly declare their love for one another and bind themselves to one another for life."

Directly addressing the couple, he asked them to grasp one another's hands. Serina looked into Severus' eyes and he caught his breath. Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with love; love for him. He still couldn't believe his great fortune in finding such a wonderful woman to share his life with.

Serina began her vows, "Severus Snape, I promise to always support you in your decisions, for you are my partner. I promise to confide in you and encourage you for you are my soul mate. I promise to love you always, for you are my life."

A small golden band wound itself around their wrists.

"Serina Torrington, I promise to always stand by your side and protect you, for you are my partner. I promise to cherish you forever for you are my soul mate. I promise to love you always, for you are my life."

A second golden band wrapped around their wrists. Dumbledore waved his wand over their clasped hands and a third band appeared as he uttered the words to bind the marriage.

"I now pronounce this binding complete according to Wizarding law. What this magic has brought together, let no man turn asunder."

He tapped their wrists and the three golden bands glowed brightly before disappearing into their wrists. They each placed a golden band on each other's finger. Dumbledore looked at each of them fondly.

"You may kiss the bride," he directed.

Serina smiled brightly as Severus bent to kiss her. His lips found hers and they kissed. They were so absorbed in each other they failed to notice that the congregation had burst into applause. They separated and Severus looked down at his bride with such adoration that Serina thought she might pass out right there. She could barely believe that she was now married to this amazing man.

They turned and faced their guests as the chapel turned itself into a reception hall. They were soon surrounded by the guests, shaking their hands and offering congratulations. Hagrid came up, blowing his nose into a huge handkerchief and pulled Severus into a giant hug. The smaller man seemed to disappear as Hagrid practically squeezed the life out of him. Hagrid released him and Severus gasped for air. He then did the same to Serina.

"I'm so happy fer the both of yeh!" he said as tears streamed down his face.

Serina smiled benevolently at him. "Thank you, Hagrid. You don't know how much that means to us."

He shook his head and then wandered off, blowing his nose like a trumpet.

Soon everyone but Narcissa Malfoy had congratulated them. The floor was cleared and Severus and Serina took their place in the center of the dance floor to start off the dancing. The music began to play and they swirled around each other. Soon others joined them on the dance floor and the party was off. Severus noticed Narcissa standing on the sidelines, glaring once again at his beautiful wife. Severus could hold his curiosity no longer. He leaned to his wife as they danced and asked her about it.

"Just what is it between you and Narcissa that you hate each other so much?"

"She's Bellatrix's sister," Serina huffed. "Actually, I was willing to overlook that fact, but she has been cold to me ever since she started dating Lucius. She just got meaner once Bellatrix killed John. I don't know if she's jealous of my close relationship with Lucius or what. He did help me quite a bit with my grief when John died. I just give her a wide berth whenever we're in the same room together."

"Serina, you have been surrounded by Death Eaters all of your life, how did you not become involved with them?"

She snorted. "I'm not that easily swayed, Severus."

"I know you're not. Haven't you been fearful for your life, though?"

"Of course, but I won't live in fear. It's a waste of energy."

She pulled herself closer to him, signaling her desire to be finished with the conversation. He complied and they danced slowly together. He inhaled the scent of her hair. It smelled of Orchids. She had piled most of it atop of her head and small wisps of it fell around her face in ringlets. Her dark hair contrasting with the beautiful ivory satin of her dress had just about taken his breath away when she appeared to walk down the aisle. He couldn't imagine a more beautiful bride.

"Serina?" he spoke her name.

She looked up at him questioningly.

"I love you."

Smiling at him she responded, "I love you too."

They kissed and he didn't even care that everyone was watching. Neither did she.

* * *

Serina burst into the Three Broomsticks and looked around. She spied her cousin waiting for her in a dark corner. Reaching his side she dropped into a chair and flashed a smile at him. He smiled back. She ordered a butter beer to go with the one that Lucius was nursing.

"So, are you out of the newlywed stage yet?" Lucius asked.

"Lucius, it's only been a couple of months, of course not!" she laughed.

Becoming more serious she continued. "I don't think I ever really thanked you for your advice about Severus. I really have found something very precious."

Lucius gave her a thin smile. "I'm happy that you are happy, and surprised that Severus can be so happy. I would have never expected it of the old bat."

Rosemerta placed the bottle in front of Serina and she thanked the barmaid. Taking a sip, she gave Lucius a knowing glance.

"This isn't just a social visit, is it Lucius?"

Lucius frowned. "No it is not. The Dark Lord is gathering his forces. He will be doing more brazen things as time goes by. He is hoping to have taken over the Wizarding world within a two year time span. I'm sure Severus has told you most, if not all of this, but I wanted to let you know about it too. I came to ask you to be careful."

"Lucius, why do you continue serving Voldemort?" she asked frowning.

Lucius got a troubled look in his eye. "It is what I have always done, Serina, I know nothing else. Besides, I agree with his cause."

"His cause and means are dark and evil. He would enslave us all if given the chance."

Lucius was getting angry. "Serina, I didn't come here to fight about this with you."

"Lucius, I have held my tongue for the most part for all of these years. You are obviously free to choose your own road, but I worry about you. I am afraid that one day I will read of your death, either at the hand of your enemies, or by You-Know-Who himself." She grasped his hand "Please, be careful. I know, ultimately in my heart, that it would be death for you to separate yourself from his evil, but I will never be at peace until you are safe from him."

He gave her a thin smile. "Do you fill Severus' head with such arguments?"

She was taken aback for a minute, but didn't show it. Severus' situation was entirely different.

"We've had our words on the subject," was all that she would reveal.

He nodded. "Again, I reiterate the need for caution. With so many family members on the Dark Lord's side, you are probably not in any danger, but one can never predict his moods. Stay invisible as much as possible and don't make waves."

"Lucius, I can't do that. I'm a member of the Order and I won't desert my position."

"You will put Severus and me in grave danger if you continue with the Order."

She stared at Lucius in shock. Thinking about it, of course it made sense. What would Voldemort think of two of his minions not even being able to keep control of a family member? She looked at Lucius with concern.

"But I want to help the cause."

"Help the cause of your husband and stay out of these matters."

She looked down in defeat. She would never compromise Severus' position. She would need to withdraw from the Order.

"You're right, of course. I would never put your life or Severus' life in danger. I will relinquish my ties with the Order," she stated flatly.

He placed a hand on hers and smiled at her. "Thank you. I knew you would see my point."

* * *

Serina sat next to Severus on the couch. She held his hand and gave him a pleading look to understand.

"Severus, Lucius told me that Voldemort is moving and increasing his army, just as you have said. He warned me to keep a low profile. I won't put you in danger. I'm withdrawing from the Order."

"My Love, you can't put me in anymore danger than I'm already in," he contested. "The Order needs you."

Serina looked down at her knees. She was torn with her decision.

"When Voldemort knows I'm with the Order he will hurt you."

"I have already worked it out," Severus insured her.

Serina raised her eyebrows in question.

"I have explained to him that it increases the trust of the Order to have both of us as members. The Order will supposedly not be as suspicious of me as a spy with us both involved."

"So am I in the dark about you too, supposedly?"

"Of course; you can know nothing of my spying for the Dark Lord."

Serina shook her head. "I thought I could deal with this, but now I'm not sure that I can. Ever since I spoke with Lucius I have had a ball in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't live with myself if I was the cause of your pain or death."

Severus pulled Serina close and hugged her. "It will not come to that."

Serina sighed. "You don't know that."

"We will get through this, my love. I promise. I have much to live for."

"Severus, you make me feel that anything is possible," she said as she hugged him.

* * *

_A/N: I know there's a bit of a time gap between the last chapter and this, but now that they are married, the story will be more cohesive. (No big jumps in time.) I hope you enjoyed their wedding. Of coure, the only way I'll know is if you review! ;) Thank you all for reading._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A week later Severus stormed into their quarters and slammed the door. Serina looked up from the Muggle magazine she was studying to prepare for the new school year and narrowed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Severus was pacing and muttering to himself. Serina thought she heard the words "old fool" and "deranged" coming from him. She rose from her seat and went over to him, enveloping him in a hug. She felt him relax at her touch, but she could still feel him simmering underneath his quiet exterior.

"Talk to me," she demanded.

"I cannot. It is private."

Looking up into his eyes she saw anger and pain. Was there fear there too?

"What are you afraid of, Severus?"

Severus looked into his wife's eyes. She had an uncanny knack of being able to see right through him, no matter what kind of walls he put up to keep her out. It was annoying at times.

Pulling her to him he said, "I cannot discuss it. It is something I must deal with on my own."

Pulling her head back so she could once again look into his eyes, she responded, "May I sit with you then, while you deal with it?"

He gave a slight nod. "That would be a welcome gesture," he replied.

They moved to the sofa and she sat against the arm of it and put her arm around Severus, who leaned against her. They sat there for hours without saying a word as Severus slowly came to the acceptance of what he and Dumbledore had been planning. He would kill the old wizard and immerse himself totally in the Dark side. The only thing he would never come to accept was having to leave his wife and her shock at his duplicity. Unfortunately, not telling her about the plan was the only way to keep her safe. She must not know of his mission.

Finally he pulled back so he could look at her. She was watching him with concerned eyes, only wanting to take away whatever pain was in his heart. He caressed her cheek.

"I love you, always remember that," he told her before he kissed her.

* * *

Severus and Serina walked quietly through Hogsmeade. Serina kept glancing worriedly at Severus. He was deep in thought and wore an unpleasant scowl. Ever since he had burst into their home in anger he had been pensive. He seemed to be avoiding her at times, claiming he had potions to create. Instead of marking papers in their home, he would spend hours in his classroom grading them. Serina was feeling a bit neglected.

She grasped his hand as they continued to walk down the street. He barely looked up to recognize the gesture. She frowned. They were passing _The Three Broomsticks_.

"Would you like to stop in for a butterbeer?" Serina asked Severus.

"No," he said solemnly.

Serina sighed. As they neared Honeydukes, she pulled him along and they entered the shop. Severus kept his eyes lowered, not looking at anything. Serina frowned. She went up to the counter, where the store was advertising a new product. It was a chocolate truffle. The unique part about it is that you just needed to think of what type of flavored center you wanted and it would become that type of truffle. Serina's eyes brightened as she eyed the candy. She absolutely adored truffles.

"Look at these, Severus," she motioned.

He glanced up and said, "What? Oh, clever." He returned his eyes to the ground.

Serina bought a small bag of the sweets and they left the shop. They made their way down the street as she fished one out of the bag. She looked at it and thought _I want you to be raspberry._ She popped the round chocolate in her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the delicious raspberry flavor.

"Mmm, that was amazing!" she crooned. "You need to try one of these, Severus."

He glanced over at her and made a face. "Maybe later."

Serina rolled her eyes and put the chocolates back into her pocket. She grabbed Severus' hand again and they proceeded down the street in silence. Before long, they were at the Shrieking Shack and Severus was pulling the board away. They entered and Serina set the fire as Severus lowered himself onto the couch. Serina turned and cuddled up next to him. They watched the fire in silence. Serina could tell that Severus was deep in thought about something. She finally asked about it.

"Severus, what's bothering you?" she queried.

"Nothing," he murmured.

Serina lips grew thin with tension. "You have been avoiding me for over a week, and you have barely said five words all afternoon. Have I upset you in some way?"

Severus looked at her for the first time all day. His eyes reflected a sadness that made Serina's heart constrict. She placed her hand on Severus' chest.

"My love, what is it?" she pleaded.

Severus took his hand and cradled her face with it. "I am sorry I have been so distant, Serina. I haven't meant to be neglectful. I just have a lot on my mind right now. It's easier for me to think about it when I'm by myself."

He could see the pain in her eyes. He had been trying to distance himself from her, so that when the time came, their parting would be easier. He now realized that had been a fool's errand. Not only was he hurting her, he was denying himself her closeness. He missed their nightly snuggling and the talks they would normally have. Realizing that he had grown more and more despondent as the week had gone on, he had closed in on himself, resulting in his sullen mood today.

He looked into Serina's eyes. She looked lovingly at him. Why was he denying himself? She loved him with no reservations and he loved her almost more than life. As he watched her, he vowed he would never neglect her again. He pulled her close and embraced her.

"Serina, I won't let that happen again, I promise," he said and then kissed her.

Serina pulled back. She stroked his hair and searched his eyes. "I just wish there were something I could do for you. You've been so despondent lately."

He smiled wanly at her. "There is nothing that can be done. There is also nothing I can do about the situation, so I will refrain from mulling over it." He smiled at her. "Did you know, that you have the most beautiful eyes?" he mused.

Serina smiled at him, quickly forgetting his prior aloofness. "Why thank you, but I must disagree. You're eyes are much nicer than mine."

"Nonsense," he disagreed.

"And then there's your incredible voice." She reached out and caressed his cheek. "It never fails to send shivers down my spine."

Severus came in close and whispered in her ear, "You mean like this?"

He felt her shudder in response to his sultry whisper and could not help saying more.

"Everything about you makes me quiver," he went on as he grasped her arms. She turned to him and his lips came down on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands pulled her in closer. They lost themselves in the moment and didn't emerge from the Shack for quite some time.

* * *

Severus stormed into the room, his cape billowing behind him and slammed the door.

Serina looked up from the papers she was grading and looked at him curiously.

"I can always count on you to make an entrance, my love," she said rather absently as she went back to the paper she was marking.

Severus ignored her and stormed into the bedroom. She could hear things being slammed about. Sighing, she laid down her quill and followed him into the bedroom.

"What have your dunderhead students done now?" she asked Severus as she watched him slam a book onto the nightstand.

"This has nothing to do with those idiots I teach, this has to do with the Headmaster and his lack of confidence in my ability to keep a secret!" He continued slamming books and knocking over things on the bed stand.

Serina went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The tension in his body relaxed somewhat.

"Talk to me," she told him.

Severus heaved a great sigh. "You know I cannot."

Serina frowned. "Sit down, then."

He sat on the edge of the bed with his hands crossed over his chest. Anger flared in his eyes and he had a huge frown on his face.

Serina sat next to him and placed an arm around his waist. With the other, she drew her fingers across his jaw line.

"Dumbledore trusts you implicitly, dear," she countered.

"No, he does not. He will not tell me what he is working on with Potter. _Potter! _The imbecile who can't cloud his thoughts to save his life! It's fine for Potter to know what's going on, so when he is captured by the Dark Lord, he will spill every secret Dumbledore has ever told him, but no. I can't be trusted with such information. I am too close to the Dark Lord. Never mind that I have been eluding detection for years now, I cannot be trusted with such information!"

Serina caressed his cheek and pulled his head toward her so she could look into his eyes.

"I don't pretend to know what Dumbledore is all about, but I do know he trusts you. Maybe you don't need to know what Harry knows to accomplish your part of this mission. Don't think that just because he is not confiding everything to you that he does not value you. I know he does. Your place is unique. No one else can do the things that you do. And he is your friend, Severus. Don't forget that."

The edginess in Severus' face seemed to soften a little at her words. He pulled his face from her hand and stared straight ahead, thinking for a moment.

"But why won't he trust me with things he freely tells Potter?"

"Are you upset that he is keeping things from you or is it because it's Potter who is the one hearing his secrets? Would you be this upset if he were telling those secrets to, say Arthur Weasley?"

Severus' shoulders deflated and he looked down.

"It's because of Potter, of course," he spat. "Why must you be so clever, witch?"

She smiled sadly at him. "My love, according to prophecy, Harry is the only one who can kill Voldemort. Of course he's going to need to know more about certain things than you. Don't let it eat you up inside. You are accomplished at your work, and Dumbledore knows that."

"If I know what's going on, then I can help the boy. He will not have Dumbledore by his side forever!"

Serina looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Severus inwardly chided himself for letting that slip, but showed no outward signs of distress.

"Merely that Dumbledore probably will not be right there with Harry the whole time he is searching for Voldemort. He may not even be there when he finds him."

Serina nodded slowly. "I hadn't really thought about that," she mused.

"Well, it's my job to think of things like that. I could protect him better if I knew what he was supposed to be doing!"

"Is there any chance that Dumbledore will eventually tell you what this is all about?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Severus chuckled sarcastically. "No. It's part of his ultimate strategy. Every little piece does their own bit of work and hopefully, when the time comes, all the efforts will combine to be successful. He's daft!"

"And brilliant, all at the same time," Serina continued.

They sat silently for a good while until Severus finally looked at her. "Thank you," he said gratefully.

"For what?" Serina asked.

"Thank you for keeping me at an even keel. You help me to see things in ways that are usually impossible for me to see."

Serina smiled at him. "It will be alright, my love. We will defeat him in the end."

Severus frowned inwardly as he pulled her to him in a gentle kiss. By that time he would no longer seem to be on their side, and he would be parted from his wife forever. That would also be due to another one of Dumbledore's harebrained yet brilliant schemes. Friend or not, he would never forgive Dumbledore for that one.

* * *

_A/N: It seems that Severus does a lot of storming and door slamming in this chapter. Let me know what you think. It's as easy as pressing the review button. C'mon, I know you're out there, dying to say something._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Serina stared into the fire and couldn't believe that Christmas time was here already. The break had begun a few days ago and Christmas Day was in four days. The semester had flown by. She glanced over at the desk piled high with finals to grade. She couldn't bring herself to get up the energy to do them. Severus sat there dutifully correcting papers, his red pen making grand marks over a first year's paper.

Serina regarded her husband thoughtfully. He had been somewhat subdued all semester. He never told her what had made him so upset before term started, but she knew that whatever it was still weighed heavily on his mind. There would be times that they would be enjoying whatever activity and he would get a far away look in his eyes. He would be somewhat terse for the rest of the evening during those times.

She smiled to herself as Severus frowned deeply over the exam he was grading. He seemed to be taking this student's mistakes a bit personally. Serina rose and positioned herself behind him and began to massage his back. He sighed in contentment as her fingers worked over his tense muscles. He was just sitting back to enjoy more of the backrub when he flinched and grabbed his arm. He was being summoned. He rose quickly and turned to Serina.

"I'm sorry, I must go. This is a planned raid and I cannot be late. I will be gone for a couple of days."

Serina's face fell. "But it's Christmas time!"

Severus caressed her cheek. "I know. Hopefully I will be back before Christmas, but don't be disappointed if I'm not."

Serina looked at him crossly and replied, "That's not bloody likely."

Severus wasn't sure if she was referring to his return or her disappointment with that statement, but he chose to ignore it as he needed to leave promptly. He gave her an embrace and kissed her goodbye, then turned to leave.

"Severus," she called after him.

He turned to look back at her.

"Be careful," she replied.

He smiled at her and was gone. Serina went back to her place by the fire and crossed her arms in front of her as she sat back down. Staring at the fire, she realized it was going to be a long couple of days.

* * *

Serina entered the Great Hall for breakfast to find it virtually deserted. There were only a handful of students and four teachers who had remained over break. There were a smattering of students and no teachers present at this time. She sat down and began filling her plate with eggs and bacon. Before long, Albus seated himself next to her. She looked up and smiled as he got settled in and began piling pancakes onto his plate.

"Good Morning, Serina, did you have a good sleep?"

"It was alright, Headmaster," Serina replied.

"It being Christmas Eve, I expect you have a full day ahead of you," Albus remarked.

"No, I'll be in my room all day," she said frowning, _waiting for my husband,_ she silently thought.

Dumbledore rested a hand on hers. "Don't worry, Serina. He'll be alright, and he'll be home soon."

She looked at him and gave him a worried look. "Albus, it just won't be Christmas without him. What if he gets killed?"

"Severus has been doing this for a long while. He will return and you will have your Christmas, even if it may be a little late."

She stared straight ahead and nodded, afraid that any response would bring tears to her eyes.

"Serina, I feel the need to give you some advice when it comes to your husband's occupation."

Serina looked over at him curiously.

"Severus is loyal to the Order. At some point he may do something that seems to go against it or defeat its purposes, but he will always be working toward its ultimate victory."

Serina thought about his words. "I know where his allegiances lie, Albus. I don't doubt his trustworthiness."

"As well you shouldn't. Severus is an honorable man and would not break the oath he swore to me when he joined the Order those many years ago."

They spent the remainder of the meal in silence, each consumed with their own thoughts. When Serina was finished, she gave a quick nod to Albus and bid him a Happy Christmas Eve. She then took her leave and returned to her apartment, not looking forward to the long day ahead of her.

* * *

A few hours later found Serina at the desk correcting the finals she had put off for so long. Needing something to take her mind off of Severus, she had decided to tackle the large stack of papers. She had gotten through quite a few of them, but the never ending pile hadn't seemed to diminish at all. She smiled to herself as she read some of the answers from the first years. _Name an electronic device that plays music: A Radiator. What is an escalator? A stairway that goes nowhere. __What type of fuel does a car run on? Coca-Cola. _Serina smiled again at that mistake.

"Serina!" a voice rang out.

Serina shot her head up and looked around. The voice had come from the fireplace. She rose and hurried over to it to find Albus' head glowing in the fire.

"Ah there you are! Severus has returned. He is severely injured and is in the infirmary."

"I'll be right there," Serina replied.

Albus' form disappeared as Serina scooped up some floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"Infirmary," she shouted and disappeared.

As she emerged into the infirmary she found Dumbledore nearby waiting for her.

"He's over here," he said, taking her elbow and guiding her to a bed. Serina gasped. It looked like Severus had been beaten to within an inch of his life. He had bruises and cuts everywhere. There was a large gash on his forehead and both of his eyes were swollen and bloodied. Madam Pomfrey was working furiously to stop internal bleeding, waving her wand and administering various potions to him. Tears formed in Serina's eyes as she watched in horror.

Albus guided her away from the bed to a chair nearby.

"We should let Poppy do her job in peace. She will tell us when you can see him," he informed her.

Serina nodded her head.

"What happened," she finally asked him after a long stretch of silence.

"From what he said before he lost consciousness, he didn't kill enough Muggles, so they punished him. He thinks someone saw him let a woman escape."

A low growl emitted from Serina. "And I suppose he won't be able to tell me this himself when he awakens?" she asked.

"Serina, he's just trying to protect you," Albus said kindly.

"Can he protect me from hours of worry as to whether he'll come home in one piece? Can he protect me from seeing him beaten and close to death? Can he protect me…?"

"Serina!" Albus practically shouted her name. "You must not blame him for this. You knew the tightrope he walked when you began this relationship. You are his one true happiness and a shelter from the horrid things that he must deal with on a day to day basis. Do not take that away from him!"

Dumbledore's voice was strong and authoritative. Serina hung her head in shame and tears trickled down her face. Albus moved closer and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Serina's body shook with sobs as she covered her face with her hands.

"He will recover," was all that Dumbledore said to her as her sobs began to subside into silent tears. His hand was removed from her shoulder and she looked up to see him drawing near the exit to the infirmary. As the Headmaster reached the door he turned and looked back at her, giving her a reassuring smile. Serina returned it hesitantly and then Dumbledore was gone.

She turned her attention to Madam Pomfrey as the witch kept bustling around Severus, cleaning him up and curing the many cuts and bruises over his body. Finally, Madam Pomfrey straightened up and looked over at Serina. Serina rose immediately and went over to Poppy.

"He's better," Poppy said, "but he may be unconscious for a while. He'll also need to stay here for a couple of days."

Serina nodded at Poppy. She went over and sat in the chair next to his bed and held Severus' hand. This wasn't the first time she had sat vigil at his bedside. It seemed he was here at least once a month. She couldn't understand why Voldemort tortured him so. As far as that devil knew, Severus was extremely loyal to him. Of course the joke was on him, and she wished she would be able to see his face when Severus' true allegiance was discovered. The monster deserved it and whatever else bad that came his way. She would have killed him herself a hundred times over by now, had she not known that Harry Potter must be the one to strike the death blow.

Serina sat back in her chair, releasing her husband's hand. Folding her arms in front of her she prepared herself for the long wait while he healed and regained consciousness.

* * *

A few hours had passed and Serina's head was bobbing up and down as she tried to stay awake. She really hadn't slept very much in Severus' absence and it was catching up to her. She fought to keep her eyes open, but it was just so blissful to have them be closed. They felt so deliciously comfortable that way. A groan from the bed next to her startled her from falling completely into oblivion.

Serina snapped her eyes open and sat at the edge of her seat, grasping Severus' hand once again. She watched him with concern as his eyes slowly opened and he looked toward her. He turned toward her and reached out with his free hand, cupping her cheek in his palm.

Serina smiled gratefully that he had awakened. "Are you in pain?" she asked.

"No," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, I've ruined Christmas."

Unshed tears finally fell from her eyes. "The best Christmas gift you could have given me is returning alive."

She arose and almost fell on top of him. She hugged him ferociously and buried her head in his chest, sobbing loudly. His arms went around her reassuringly.

"It's alright, I'm fine," he whispered weakly to her.

Serina bit back her response, remembering what Albus had said. She wanted to be that shelter for him, not some banshee of a wife that did nothing but berate him for doing what he was supposed to do.

She looked searchingly into his eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Well, I am now that I'm with you." He smiled at her.

She smiled back and wiped the tears from her eyes. Returning to her chair she grasped his hand again.

"Poppy said you needed to stay here for a couple of days."

Severus groaned. "I will not sit in this bed and miss Christmas with you."

He sat up and made to get out of bed, but everything went black and he passed out again. His vision returned a minute later and he found Serina looking at him with alarm, her arms securely on his shoulders, holding him up. She eased him back down onto the bed.

He chuckled slightly. "I guess Madam Pomfrey knows what she's talking about, then," he said with a grimace.

Serina raised a knowing eyebrow at him, but said nothing. She settled herself back in her chair and regarded Severus in exasperation. _Stubborn man, always ignoring other's advice, _she thought.

She ignored her desire to chastise him for trying to get up so quickly; instead she said, "We can have Christmas in here. It doesn't matter where we celebrate it, as long as we're together."

He smiled at her and said, "I love you Serina Snape."

"I love you too, Severus Snape." She smiled back at him.

* * *

Their Christmas had been a quiet one. Serina brought down their presents the next morning and with a few waves of her wand there were decorations all over the infirmary. It hardly resembled the sick ward that it was when she was finished. She had even transfigured a cup into a small Christmas tree.

Severus was able to sit up in bed by then and they unwrapped their presents while they sat side by side on the bed. When they were done, Serina summoned a house elf to take the presents back to their room. They sat arm in arm, enjoying the closeness for a long time. Neither said anything. Finally Severus pulled away from her and summoned the house elf back. He instructed it to return to their apartment and collect one last present that Serina had been unaware of. Within a few minutes, the small elf returned with a box in his hand. He handed it to Severus and disappeared with a bow and a pop.

Severus handed the box to Serina. She took it excitedly and lifted the lid. Inside was a blue stone that was highly polished. It was flat and smooth and very pretty. It seemed to be glowing slightly. She lifted it out of the box and turned it over in her hand.

"Severus, you got me a pet rock!" she cried.

Severus looked at her puzzled. "What's a pet rock?"

"Oh! It's a muggle trinket. It's not really a pet. People pick up rocks and polish them and call them pets. Some even attach small googly eyes on them."

"Googly eyes?" Severus asked pointedly.

She laughed. "Yes, googly eyes. They're little plastic fake eyes with dots for pupils. They jiggle when you shake them. They're really cute."

"I assure you, witch, this is not a 'pet' rock." Severus growled, a bit hurt by her assumption.

Serina looked at Severus in embarrassment. Turning red, she said, "I didn't mean to make fun of your gift, Severus, it's really beautiful. It just reminded me of the old Muggle custom of giving rocks as pets. I meant no disrespect!"

Severus settled down a little. "This rock has been enchanted with a small amount of my 'life force' for lack of a better word. As long as I am alive, this rock will glow." He became serious. "I know that you worry yourself sick when I am working with the Dark Lord. I thought that this may help to ease your mind when you don't know where I am or whether I'm alive."

Serina held the rock to her chest and looked gratefully at Severus. She threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you! It's beautiful. And thank you for understanding how hard this has been for me. You know I'll never stop worrying about you, but this will help ease my mind until you return each time."

Severus hugged her as if he could take her into himself. Finally he released her and turned so he could reach his wand that was on the bedside table.

"You forgot something when you were decorating," he told her.

"What was that?" she asked.

He flicked his wand above her head and a green plant began to grow there, suspended magically in the air.

"Mistletoe," he answered.

She smiled at him as he closed in on her lips. They kissed happily, able to forget the world around them for those brief seconds.

"Alright you two, I won't have you overexerting my patient, Serina," came Poppy's voice. She had just peeked in to check on them.

They reluctantly broke apart and went back to hugging.

Poppy looked a bit flustered and decided to leave again. "Happy Christmas" she called over her shoulder as she left the infirmary.

"You too," Serina called after her. "Now, where were we?" she asked Severus sultrily.

"I believe it was somewhere around here," he answered before his lips claimed hers again.

* * *

_A/N: Up next: A unique encounter. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Roses are red, violets are black, (If Severus is sending them,) If you leave a review, I promise I'll write back._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Severus sat at his desk, grading papers. At least he was supposed to be grading papers. His thoughts had turned once again, to Dumbledore. Time had passed quickly and it was nearing the end of the year. Draco seemed to be getting more agitated. He would disappear for hours on end. Severus wondered what his next attempt at murder would be. He had caused havoc by having two previous attempts backfire. It was only a matter of time before he tried again. He knew that Draco would make his move before the end of the school year, as Voldemort wanted to be rid of Dumbledore as soon as possible. He looked forward to that day with trepidation. He hoped that the old man was right in assuming that a mercy killing wouldn't hurt Severus' soul. Not that it mattered. When he was forced to flee the light, he would also flee his wife's side. There was nothing worth existing for if he couldn't have her with him, and he knew that he would lose her forever after what would be done to Dumbledore. A great sadness enveloped him, not for the first time since he had learned of the plan.

Severus was startled out of his musings by Serina slamming the door and stalking into the apartment in a huff. Severus looked up from the papers he was grading. It seemed that was all he did lately: grade paper after paper of drivel about potions that could be made in one's sleep. Glancing at Serina, he raised his eyebrows in question to her stomping. In response she waved a parchment at him and laid it on the desk in front of him so he could get a better look.

"The ministry has denied my request to obtain a television and generator for my class! How could they be so stupid? I had everything planned out for the students and now I need to change my entire lesson plan for the rest of the school year!" She groaned inwardly and threw her hands up.

Severus studied the parchment. Indeed the Ministry had denied the television on account it could bring "unwanted news of the outside world" to the children of Hogwarts. He looked up at Serina's irate face.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it?" she exclaimed.

He shrugged at her. "It does make sense. If you were to watch Muggle newscasts, the students would see what was really going on in the world and how the Dark Lord has even influenced the Muggle world. All of the Ministry's clever concealment of the facts would come out. The students would tell their parents, their parents would tell their friends, and then the Ministry would have chaos on their hands."

Serina dropped her shoulders in defeat. "They should just tell us all the truth, and then they wouldn't need to fear chaos among the ranks! Their secrecy has ruined month's worth of teaching plans! What am I going to do now?"

"Can you substitute anything? Movies, perhaps?" His eyebrow shot up in a way that Serina found endearing.

She bit her lip. "Maybe. I'll have to look into it. Ugh! I should have requested permission earlier, that way I wouldn't have to rush to rewrite my year end class plans now that they have been ruined."

She sat on Severus' lap. "Oh Severus, I don't have time for all of this. I wanted to spend time with you now that the weather has gotten nice."

Severus smiled at her and rubbed her back. "We'll find time, my love. Don't fret. I know that that clever mind of yours will come up with something to entertain your classes."

She smiled back at him.

"Come," Severus demanded. "Let's go for a walk. You could do with some distraction to calm you down."

"I suppose you're right."

She rose and reached her hand out to him. He got up and took it. Serina noticed a flicker of sadness cross Severus' face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked innocently.

Severus shook his head. "Nothing," The sides of his mouth curved up slightly. Tugging her by his side he replied, "Let's go."

She followed him out the door and they ascended the stairs and left the castle. They strolled around the grounds in companionable silence. Passing by Hagrid's hut, Serina looked to see if he was home, but the small house appeared to be deserted.

They continued on and soon found themselves at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Severus kept walking, not really noticing where they were going. Serina held back a little, causing Severus to break out of his thoughts, as he stopped to wait for her. He looked at her as she hesitated.

"Should we really go in here?" she asked.

"It's safe enough during the day for two adult wizards. We won't go too far."

Serina nodded and followed him in, her arm linked with his. She had never entered the forest before and was a bit frightened. She gazed around and noticed tall trees and a leaf strewn path. It was actually pretty normal looking for a forest. Nonetheless, she knew that there were creatures that lurked here that should be left to themselves.

After walking for a few minutes, Severus stopped. He grasped Serina's arm so she would stop walking also. He put his finger up to his lips to signal to her to not speak, and then he pointed into the thickest part of the forest. She thought she saw a flash of white. Looking at Severus curiously, she mouthed "What was that?" to him.

He stooped down so his mouth was next to her ear and whispered, "Unicorn," to her.

Serina's eyes widened in amazement. She looked back at the place where she had seen the flash of white. It had moved a bit, but now she could actually make out the hind quarters of what looked like a white horse. Her heart leapt with excitement and she grasped Severus' hand and inched closer to where the Unicorn was grazing.

Severus smiled at her as they slowly approached the wild beast. The trees cleared away to uncover a small clearing where the Unicorn had its head bent down, nibbling on grass and leaves. As they approached, the Unicorn glanced their way. It continued eating and they stealthily crept closer. Suddenly, the Unicorn raised its head and looked directly at them, its golden horn gleaming in the sunlight.

Serina stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes grew wide. Severus crept level with her and then stopped too. They stood as still as they could while the Unicorn looked them up and down. To their amazement, after a minute, the creature started walking cautiously towards them.

Serina put her arm out with her palm up in a sign of friendship to the beast. It snorted at her and came up to her hand. It nudged her and she turned her hand over and patted it on the nose. She smiled broadly. Severus slowly took his hand and also patted the Unicorn. The Unicorn stared at Severus with intelligent eyes. Suddenly they both heard a voice in their heads.

_You lead a double life_, it said to Severus.

Severus looked curiously at the creature. "What do you mean?"

_You have many secrets and no one but you knows all of them._

Serina glanced cautiously at Severus before turning back to the Unicorn.

"How are you communicating with us?" she asked.

_All Unicorns have strong telepathic powers. We can read minds and speak directly to others through their thoughts. I am Starlight, a prince of the Unicorn kingdom here in what you call the Forbidden Forest._

"You are magnificent Starlight!" Serina gushed.

_Thank you._ The animal bowed his head to her. She returned the bow with a small curtsy. Glancing at Severus she noticed he looked uncomfortable. The Unicorn's gaze followed hers and he regarded Severus.

_Fear not, your secrets are safe with me. It is against Unicorn tradition for us to discuss with anyone the things which we have glimpsed in another's mind._

Severus seemed to relax a bit. "Thank you. Most of those secrets could get me killed," he told Starlight.

_Your mission will succeed but not necessarily as you picture it, _was all the response he received from the Unicorn. Starlight turned back to Serina and bowed again.

_It was a pleasure meeting you, Serina Snape. I believe our paths may cross again._

With that the Unicorn turned and galloped away from them, leaving Severus staring in puzzlement and Serina practically gaping at the beautiful form of the horse like creature disappearing into the thick woods.

As she watched him disappear she murmured to Severus, "That was one of the strangest encounters I have ever experienced."

Severus nodded dumbly and turned her around. They headed back the way they came. They returned to the castle in silence, each pondering the cryptic meaning of the Unicorn's words.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: The dastardly deed is done, how will Serina react? Will she be angry or forgiving? Let your opinion be known, leave a review. Thanks for reading._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Severus and Serina were awakened by a harsh rapping on the door. Severus, ever alert, jumped out of bed and scurried to the door, opening it to peer outside. Looking down he saw Professor Flitwick looking nervous.

"The castle is being attacked by Death Eaters!" Flitwick cried.

"We will be right there," Severus responded and slammed the door in Flitwick's face, leaving the small professor alone in the hallway. Flitwick turned and raced back up the corridor and back to the fight that was happening throughout the castle.

Severus, meanwhile, raced back to the bedroom and quickly dressed. Serina was sitting up in bed questioning his haste.

"Death Eaters are in the castle, I must go."

"I'm right with you," she said as she rose from the bed.

"No!" Severus said sternly. He was beside her in a minute. "You stay here."

"Severus, I'm not going to cower in my room while the whole school is fighting!"

He placed his hands on her arms. "That's not what I mean. You must not follow me. We cannot be seen together, do you understand?"

Serina looked at Severus hopelessly. After a minute she said, "Yes, I do."

Severus threw his arms around her and held her tightly. Pulling back he kissed her as if he would never see her again. He pulled away reluctantly and held her face in his hands.

"Remember, I will always love you," he told her passionately.

"I will always love you too," Serina said, a bit puzzled at his actions.

Severus gave her one last look of longing and turned and flew out the door. Serina followed him, not sure why he was being so emotional. Was he expecting to be killed in this fight? She raced to her wardrobe and threw on some robes. She went to her drawer and picked up the stone Severus had given her for Christmas. She placed it in her pocket, grabbed her wand, and raced out the door to join the battle.

The fighting didn't really last a long time. Before they all knew it the Death Eaters were retreating. Serina thought she heard some of them laughing maniacally as they raced from the castle. She shot spell after spell at them, trying to wipe the sneering grins off their faces, but she wasn't very lucky with her shots. She only managed to knock out two of the fleeing forms. She raced after the others as they escaped out the door, hoping to down some more before they could apparate outside of the Hogwarts gates. She succeeded in downing another one before the last of them disappeared with a pop.

Serina stopped to catch her breath. Reaching into her pocket she took out the small blue stone. It was still glowing. She sighed with relief. Severus was still alive; she just needed to find him. She turned back to the castle and noticed people running to the Astronomy side of the building. Wondering what was drawing their attention; she swallowed hard and ran over to where a crowd was gathering. There were so many there already, she could not see what the attraction was. She turned to Professor Slughorn, who was trying to get a view of what was going on as well.

"Horace, can you see anything?"

"There's a body on the ground. Harry Potter is stooping over it. It…it looks like Dumbledore!"

Serina gasped. She hoped the old man wasn't dead. She and Slughorn did their best to wheedle their way to the front of the group, but they were unsuccessful. Finally, whisperings of what had happened came their way. It truly was Dumbledore, and he was dead, Horace had whispered to her. As Horace received more news, he turned solemnly to Serina.

"I'm sorry, my dear, it seems that Severus was the murderer," he told her gently, with sadness in his eyes.

She gaped at him in horror. "What did you say?" she asked him, not believing what had come from his mouth.

Horace put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Serina, Snape killed Dumbledore."

Although there was a great din of noise all around her, Serina heard nothing. She slowly sunk to the ground. She was finding it difficult to catch her breath and began to gasp. Slughorn knelt in front of her and peered into her eyes. She seemed to be seeing something entirely different than what was going on. She continued to hyperventilate.

"Serina, are you okay?" Slughorn asked.

Her eyes focused on him finally. "Can't…can't breathe," she gasped.

Horace grabbed her shoulders and shook her. He wasn't quite sure why he was doing it, but it was the only thing he could think of. Serina continued to breathe erratically. Finally Slughorn had a better idea.

"Take in a deep breath and hold it," he told Serina.

She followed his direction.

"Okay, now let it out slowly and then repeat the long breath in."

She did what he asked repeatedly and finally was able to control her breathing.

"Th…thanks, Horace," she said.

"Can you stand?"

"I think so," Serena responded.

She slowly got to her feet with Horace's help. Looking at him with wide eyes she could only ask, "What am I going to do?"

Horace looked at her with sympathy. "It's late. You should get some rest. Things will seem clearer in the morning."

She nodded dumbly and turned and stumbled toward the castle. Without realizing how she got there, she found herself in her apartment. Her hand absentmindedly went to her pocket and she withdrew the stone that sat there. It still glowed a bright blue. Her treacherous heart leapt within her to know that he was still alive. Angrily she tightened her hold on the stone and threw it at the wall, screaming as she did. Ignoring it as it dropped to the floor, she stormed into the bedroom and dropped into her bed fully clothed. She looked over at Severus' pillow, the emptiness of his side of the bed testifying to the horrid fact of his duplicity. She turned away so she did not have to stare at that treacherously empty place. Scrunching her eyelids closed, she tried to fall into the oblivion that sleep would bring, but her mind was moving a mile a minute.

She reflected on Severus' actions when they were awakened for the battle. He had known! He was saying goodbye to her. Tears streamed down her face as she thought of the gentleness of his kiss contrasted to the evil murder he had committed only a few minutes later. How long had he been plotting to kill the Headmaster? They all thought that he was working for Dumbledore, but in actuality he was still working for Voldemort. All of Albus' trust in him had been for nothing.

Albus. She thought of the glimpses that she had seen of his broken body crumpled on the ground. He deserved better. He had always been so kind to everyone. She thought of the many conversations she had had with the old man. He always had a twinkle in his eye and always seemed to know far more about everything than he should rightly know.

Her mind wandered to the conversation they had had on Christmas Eve, when she had been so worried about Severus' welfare. Albus' warnings about Severus' motives came back to her. Little did he realize that the man he held in such high regard would cut him down in an act of treachery. More tears streamed down her face as she recalled the sincerity in Dumbledore's face as he told her that even if it seemed that what Severus did in the future was against the Order, his work would eventually benefit it.

Dumbledore's words echoed over and over again in her head. She hadn't really given them much thought at the time, but what exactly had the old wizard been trying to tell her? Had he actually suspected that Severus would try to kill him? He always seemed five steps ahead of everyone when it came to secret plans. If he did know, why would he say that his act would benefit the Order? How could Dumbledore's death ever be a benefit to anyone except Voldemort?

She finally came to the conclusion that her ideas were just the result of wishful thinking on her part. She would love to have a reason to believe that Severus' act was not as evil as it really was. She put the idea straight out of her mind and tried to get some sleep, however, Dumbledore's words repeated themselves through her mind like a broken record. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that she finally drifted off into a fitful sleep filled with frightening dreams of an old man falling off a tower and her husband looking on angrily.

* * *

_A/N: Up next: A gift is bestowed. Reviews make my day. You want to make my day, don't you?_


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: There's a little bit of gruesomeness in this chapter. Nothing too gory. You've been warned. :)_

**Chapter 17**

Dumbledore's funeral was quite beautiful in its own way. It was unfortunate that Serina was unable to really pay attention. She had been in a fog since his death, unable to concentrate on anything. She noticed that she was not the only one among the mourners who seemed to have this affliction.

As the ceremony ended and the funeral goers rose to gather in the Great Hall for a reception, Serina rose and wandered off on her own. The last thing she needed right now was to make small talk with people who would either look at her as if she were a pariah or gaze at her from a distance like she was the saddest soul they had ever come upon. It had been happening all day and she was quite sick of it. She had had enough of people for one day.

As she walked away from the funeral site she kept her head down, so as not to have to converse with anyone passing by her on their way to the castle. As she walked, her hand strayed to her pocket where the stone sat, placed back in its rightful place the day after Albus' death. She had found her gaze going toward the stone as it had sat on the floor all that day. It was always glowing. Finally she had stalked over to it and put it back in her pocket. At least she wouldn't have to stare at it all the time now. To tell the truth, it gave her some comfort that it still glowed. She supposed that her love for Severus would not go away, even if he was a traitor.

Serina continued walking, not really noticing where she was going. On and on she went. The warm breeze and the smell of the trees helped her to concentrate her thoughts on things other than death and despair.

Suddenly, Serina stopped walking. She had thought she saw a flash of white ahead. Looking at her surroundings, she realized that she was in the Forbidden Forest, close to the place where Severus and she had seen the Unicorn. Could that flash of white be Starlight again?

She drew closer to the clearing where they had found him before, and sure enough, there he was, grazing just like he had been the last time. Her mouth dropped in amazement as she counted herself lucky to come upon the creature not once, but twice in such a short time period.

The Unicorn raised its head and looked at her. He bobbed his head in a welcome and trotted over to her.

_Serina Snape, I knew we would meet again._

She patted him on his nose and smiled. "You are very wise Starlight," she cooed to him.

_Do not judge him until you know all of the facts, _Starlight admonished her.

Serina looked curiously at the Unicorn. "What are you referring to?"

_You know to what I refer; to the actions of your husband. Only when you know all of the facts may you make a clear judgment of his true motives._

Serina gaped at him. "But he killed Albus Dumbledore," she retorted.

_Yes, but all of the facts are not know. You must search them out. It is your duty as his wife._

Serina felt oddly uncomfortable. She had not really thought about it that way. She really ought to find out all she could before condemning Severus, after all, she was his wife and partner. If she couldn't stand up for him, no one could.

_I have something for you Serina Snape, if you wish to accept it._

"What is it?" Serina asked.

_I believe I can help you destroy Voldemort._

Serina's eyebrows shot up. "How can you do that?"

_As you know, Unicorns have special powers that only they possess. It is possible for a Unicorn to transfer some of their power to a human, but it is very rare. We do not share our powers often because they have the ability to make a person so powerful that they abuse such power. If our power fell into the wrong hands, it could be used to enslave the entire population. For that reason, it is a secret among our kind that we rarely share. _

_If we consider sharing our power, we must be assured that the recipient is not the type of person to become prideful and use the power to control. In our last meeting, I read your mind and found that you are a pure and honorable person. I know from your thoughts that if I were to transfer some of my power to you, you would not abuse the privilege, but only use it to defeat Voldemort. But if you do agree to receive this power, you must always be wary of pride. If you take your powers for granted and let them make you feel superior to your peers, you will be just like the one you seek to destroy. Do you understand the great responsibility that comes with such power?_

"I, yes, I understand, but why me? Surely there are many people who would fit your description of a proper holder of such wonders."

_You are wrong. There have only been five other wizards who have ever received such powers, one of them being Albus Dumbledore._

Serina's mouth dropped open. "That's how he knew everything about everything!"

_That is one way to put it. He only used his powers to fight the Dark side, and to help an occasional person in need. He was a great man who loved purely._

Serina thought for a moment and then looked back at Starlight. "What do I need to do to receive such powers and how will I know how to use them?"

_You will need to work with them to be able to use them properly. It will take you some time to adjust to your new powers. I suggest you find a quiet, secluded place where you can learn all of your capabilities and perfect them. The easiest one to develop will be the mind reading devices, but soon you will be comfortable with all of them. Then you will be able to fight against Voldemort._

"But Harry Potter is supposed to be the one who kills Voldemort."

_Of course, but your help will be invaluable in his success. In fact, it may be essential._

Serina pondered that for a while. If she was to be invaluable in Voldemort's defeat, than she had no choice but to accept Starlight's offer.

_You always have a choice, Serina. We cannot and will not force you to do something that you don't feel ready for._

"I am ready, and willing to do my part."

Starlight seemed to smile at her.

_The transfer is painful, but with your new powers you can heal yourself almost immediately. The scar will disappear within a few months._

"Scar?" she asked.

_The powers are transferred through my horn and the recipient's blood. I must drive my horn into your midsection._

Serina grimaced. "You said I would have the magical ability to heal the wound?"

Starlight nodded.

She steeled herself. "I am ready."

_You are braver than even your mind has led me to believe Serina Snape! _Starlight's admiration shone in his eyes. _It will be easier if you lie on the ground and open your robes to expose your stomach._

Serina did as the Unicorn asked and Starlight positioned himself over her. He explained what he was going to do and told her to brace herself for severe pain. Then he thrust his long golden horn into her abdomen and pulled it out quickly. She screamed and curled her body up as she writhed in pain. The pain was so severe that she was unsure she could get to her wand to cast the healing spell. The pain shot throughout her entire body, almost paralyzing her in agony. Then, she felt something course through her veins. It was so intense that she almost passed out. Reaching for her wand, she waved it over her abdomen and it healed without her saying or thinking a word. She finally looked curiously at Starlight.

_Yes, you will be able to do all of your spells non-verbally now with just a thought as to what you want. You may want to use words aloud in most cases, so no one becomes suspicious of your new found powers._

Serina nodded to him and got up. She cleaned the blood off of her robes and refastened them as she spoke to Starlight.

"What else do I need to know? Will you teach me how to use my powers?"

_No. You must learn of them on your own, that way you will have total control over them. I encourage you to experiment. You will find things that you never dreamed of are now capable for you. Although we all respected Dumbledore greatly, he never took the time to really learn all of his capabilities. In some ways he feared them. He could have been far more powerful than he already was. Do not fear your gift Serina; use it to your advantage._

Serina found it hard to believe that Dumbledore could have been even more powerful, but she didn't argue with the Unicorn. She figured he already knew what her thoughts on his statement were anyway, but chose not to defend them any further. Suddenly her head snapped around and back to Starlight.

"I heard you! You said that I would prove you right in my own due time if I just worked hard enough! The thoughts felt different from the other things you have said to me."

Again, she thought she saw a smile from the creature.

_You are a fast learner. It was a test and you passed. I kept my thoughts to myself, yet you were able to hear them. Keep working hard and you will be magnificent, Serina._

"Will I see you again?" Serina asked him almost sadly.

_If you feel you really need my guidance, you may return to this spot and summon me. You need only call my name and think about me. But I do not foresee you needing my advice._

"How can I ever thank you?"

_Use your gift wisely and it is all the thanks that I need. And do not forget what I told you about your husband. You now have the ability to find out the truth easily for yourself when you meet up with him again._

"Do you know the truth?"

_I do, but this is your journey to travel, not mine._

"I will do as you ask," she told the Unicorn and hugged him. "Thank you for this great gift!" she exclaimed.

At that Starlight bounced his head and turned and trotted off. He was regal in every movement. She watched as he disappeared and slowly left the forest. She wandered back to the castle, lost in thought. She passed Dumbledore's tomb and stopped to marvel at its beauty. Going up to it, she laid a hand upon it. They now shared something very unique. She wished that he were still alive so he could give her some pointers on how to use and not to abuse such great powers. Actually, he had already taught her how not to abuse them. Everything he did attested to the fact that he never became power hungry. He truly had been a remarkable man.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Reading minds. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think about where this is going. The easy way to do that would be to review. The hard way would be to try and reach me telepathically, because I don't have that ability, and you probably don't either. Thanks to those who have reviewed already and to all of you who stick with this story as it moves along._


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Serina found that she was hungry, so she decided to put in an appearance at the funeral reception. As she entered the Great Hall, she noticed that many of the mourners had already left. That eased her mind a bit. She went over to the refreshment table and filled her plate with some food. She searched out an empty table and sat down. She began to eat as quickly as she could so she could make a quick escape. She hoped no one noticed her while she was there; she was not in the mood to speak with anyone.

Unfortunately, someone did notice her.

"Professor Snape, are ye doin' alrigh?"

Serina looked up to see Hagrid towering over her. She gave him a hesitant smile. She thanked her luck that at least if someone was going to approach her it was him. Hagrid was one of the most amiable people Serina had ever met.

"I'm as well as can be expected, Hagrid. Thank you for asking," she replied warmly.

"I just want yeh to know, some people aroun' here have been saying some awful stuff about yeh, Serina. I set em right straight when I hear that kind of talk. I tell em you were ignorant to Professor Snape's bein' a traitor, and it was a shock to yeh, just like it was to the rest of us."

Serina couldn't help but smile at Hagrid. "Thank you Hagrid, for being a loyal friend. Unfortunately, people will think what they will."

"I know, but yev been through enough already, Professor. I hate to see yeh hurtin' because of some evil words by ignorant people."

Serina's look hardened. "I won't let them hurt me, Hagrid. I know they're just small minded."

"Well, you be sure to let me know if anyone bothers yeh. I'll send them packin' before they can say Dumbledore. Great man, that Dumbledore."

"Yes, he was. We will all miss him. But I know another great man who is still with us."

"An who might tha' be?" Hagrid asked with interest.

Serina placed a hand on his. She felt a small bit of something flow through her fingers to his hand. She wondered at it for a bit before she looked Hagrid in the eyes.

"It's you, Hagrid. I know you sometimes feel inadequate here, but you are truly one of the greatest men I have ever met."

Hagrid's chest puffed up in pride. "Why thank yeh, Professor. I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said ter me." He beamed at her and patted her on the shoulder, wishing her a good rest of the day. She watched him as he left the Great Hall. He had a quick bounce to his step and he seemed happier than she had ever seen him, and that was saying something for Hagrid, as he was a generally jolly fellow.

Reflecting on the episode, she realized what she had felt flow from her to Hagrid minutes before. It was a confidence charm. Or at least something close to it. Instinctively she knew that he would never feel inadequate again. She smiled to herself.

She suddenly had an urge to try out her mind reading powers. This was a perfect place to silently probe minds, there were still several dozen people milling about. She wondered if a person would feel her enter into their thoughts. Glancing around the room, she found someone to read. It was a woman she didn't know, who was listening to a man tell her a story. The gentleman was gesturing wildly as he told it. It must have been an interesting tale.

Serina reached her mind out to the woman and was surprised at the ease she entered her thoughts. She stared at the woman in amazement. Although, she seemed to be listening to the man intently, she was bored to death! She wanted to get another drink and his long boring story was keeping her from the refreshments table. The woman was actually contemplating cursing the man into silence!

Serina stifled a giggle and concentrated her thoughts on the wildly gesticulating man. He was talking about a hunt he had gone on last summer for lions. He was incredibly self involved and very full of himself. Even though the story may have been interesting at one time, he had embellished it so much, that little of the true tale remained. She could feel his ego grow as his tale unfolded. Smiling to herself, she searched out more interesting people to study.

She caught sight of Minerva. She hesitated, not wanting to intrude on the private thoughts of her friend, but she decided to anyway. Although Minerva was smiling politely to the lady she was chatting with, Serina was overcome by grief when she entered Minerva's mind. There was a great sense of loss, also. Serina quickly withdrew. She did not want to intrude on Minerva's mourning.

Spying Mad-Eye Moody stalking along the wall toward the punch bowl, she decided to try his mind. He would be a challenge, she supposed. As an auror, he was probably well versed in _Occlumency._

Her mind entered his and she found a bunch of jumbled nonsense. Half thoughts and suspicions clouded his mind. But what was that in the back? It looked like a wall. Coming closer to it, she examined it. It was made of concrete and seemed very solid. Is this what an occluded area of the mind looked like? She reached out a hand to touch the wall and found she could pass through it without much resistance. Was this part of her special powers?

She entered the occluded area and looked around. There were terrible memories in there. Episodes from his work that he wished no one to know about. Secrets about the Order that she was aware of, but others should not be. Yes, these were occluded memories, alright. She withdrew from Moody's mind. He was entitled to his privacy.

She was beginning to realize just how powerful her mind had become. Maybe if she worked on these capabilities, she could eventually read Voldemort's mind. She quickly prepared a course of study for herself. Compiling a list in her head of people she knew to be Occlumens, she would seek out each one of them and read their minds, trying to break through the occluded part. She knew that with practice, no mind would be clouded from her.

Searching the crowd for more Aurors, she noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt had not left yet. Her mind reached out to his and she went directly to the back of his memories. She was interested to find out that his wall was not made of concrete, but only of wood. She quickly passed through the barrier and looked around. She was not interested in his memories, only in gaining access to them, so she withdrew without taking much heed to them.

She marveled at the difference in the two men's walls. Serina had felt some slight resistance when she had pushed herself through Moody's concrete wall, but Shacklebolt's wooden wall had seemed like nothing as she passed through.

Studying the crowd again, she noticed a peculiar guest. It was the owner of the Hog's Head bar in Hogsmeade. She didn't know that he felt close enough to Dumbledore to come to his funeral. Of course, many had come out of the woodwork to pay their last respects to Albus. She entered his mind in curiosity. She found it interesting that he had a wall too. It seemed rather strong for a man who didn't seem to have a very important life. Like Moody's it too was made of concrete. It had a metal gate in the center with a giant chain bolting it closed. She put her hand to the gate and tried to push through. She actually could feel the cold metal before her hand cleared the gate and appeared on the opposite side. She followed through with a little difficulty.

As she looked around in the man's private memories, she gasped. This was Dumbledore's brother! His name was Aberforth. She didn't even know Dumbledore had any living relatives. She saw a little girl in the distance and went over to that memory. It was their sister. She had been struck down by a dark wizard. She gleaned that Albus had befriended this wizard, not realizing his true intentions. She drew in her breath as she realized the wizard was Grindelwald. Albus had confessed his unusual powers to him, not realizing he was power hungry.

Grindelwald had wanted to use Albus' power to control the world. He convinced him that they could work together to 'solve' the problems of the Wizarding world. When he realized Albus would never leave his sister, who was sickly, he decided to kill her. Grindelwald was going to make it look like she died of natural causes. With his sister gone, Dumbledore would be willing to leave the country and Grindelwald would have control of the greatest power on the planet. Serina witnessed the evil wizard cutting down Albus' sister. Unbeknownst to Grindelwald, Aberforth had been in the basement and had witnessed the whole thing. Even though Albus was nowhere to be found, she could feel that his brother blamed his sister's death on him. The barkeep cried out and raced to the little girl's side and cradled her in his arms, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He repeated over and over the same four words, "You killed my sister"

Serina looked over at the stairwell and saw Albus rush down them and assess the scene. Instantly knowing what had happened, he raised his wand to fight Grindelwald, but the dark wizard was too quick. He stunned Albus and pushed his way past him, running out of the room. Serina retreated from the man's mind quickly. The whole event had only taken about a minute. But in that minute, she had learned the entire story.

She pondered what she had seen. Albus must not have probed Grindelwald's mind, or he would have known immediately of his plans. Why hadn't he done that? Then she remembered the words of the Unicorn. That Albus feared some of his powers. Perhaps that fear had kept him from delving into the other wizard's mind. She felt a great sadness within her. Because of his fears, he had lost his sister. She would not let herself make the same mistakes.

Staring at Aberforth from across the room, she studied him to see if he had noticed anything amiss in his brain. The man seemed to be unaffected by what she had just experienced. She heaved a sigh of relief.

Serina felt a sudden urge to speak with this man who was Dumbledore's brother. She rose and approached him. She extended a hand to him when she reached him.

"Hello," she said, "I am Serina Snape. Are you Albus' brother?"

His eyes met hers and she saw the same blue piercing eyes that had stared at her numerous times from Albus.

"He shook her hand hesitantly and gave her a quizzical look. Announcing himself as Aberforth Dumbledore, he asked her "How did you know that I am Albus' brother?"

Blushing, Serina told him that she had heard a rumor somewhere.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, sir."

Aberforth's eyes narrowed at her. "Snape, huh. Severus is your husband?"

She lowered her eyes to the floor. "Yes, he is."

He nodded. "Come by the bar anytime. You look like you could use a drink."

Serina appraised him and laughed. "I just may take you up on that, Aberforth!"

"I expect you to," he told her. "I should be going. Unlike my brother, I'm not much for parties."

She smiled at him again and shook his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you Aberforth," she said genuinely.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Saving a life. Thanks to all for reading and especially for reviewing._


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Serina was in the Room of Requirement testing her magic. She had decided the night before that this would be the perfect place to work undisturbed. All classes had been cancelled for the remainder of the year and she was grateful for the time. She had much to learn.

She started with simple spells, performed without her wand and with only the thought of them in her mind. She was pleasantly surprised by the results. Everything she tried worked immediately the first time through.

She continued on with more complex spells. She tried to levitate a chair. It rose a few inches off the ground, before crashing down. Frowning, she concentrated harder. The chair soared through the air and hovered about ten feet high before crashing to the ground again, this time shattering. On the third try she found success. Levitating the chair again, she moved it across the room and slowly returned it to the ground. Smiling to herself she continued her tests.

After a few hours she emerged from the room having most of her spells well controlled. She had left defensive spells for another day, for she knew that they would take time to perfect, as they were usually done in the midst of battle and she would need to have her wits about her.

She returned to her room and went to change her clothes. She had had quite a workout. She felt in her pocket and removed the blue stone. It went everywhere with her now. It still glowed brightly and she felt relieved that Severus was still living. Dropping it onto the bed, she ran into the shower and quickly cleaned off. Emerging she decided to wear a summery dress. She dressed quickly and went to retrieve the stone that was lying on the bed. As she went to scoop it up, she froze in horror. The stone had stopped glowing. Before she could even touch it, it glowed again. She picked it up and looked at it curiously. Was the charm wearing off of it? Did the glow seem dimmer?

As she studied it, the glow winked out again, only to wink back on after a few seconds. A great fear welled up in her chest. This had happened only once before. It was when Voldemort was 'playing' with Severus. He had tortured him so badly that he had actually been teetering on death. Voldemort would revive him and continue the torture until he was near death again, and then repeat the whole sordid affair.

Tears streamed down Serina's face as she stared helplessly at the small stone as it winked on and off a few more times. It finally settled itself, glowing dimly and Serina took a minute to collapse on the bed. She held the stone in her hand and stared at it for over an hour. It remained glowing faintly and she finally felt it would be okay for her to put it away in her pocket.

Serina pulled her pillow under her and let her thoughts turn ugly. The stone certainly hadn't returned to its original strength. Was Severus lying half dead somewhere? She pictured him beaten and bruised, moaning for help. If only she knew where he was she could heal him.

A thought occurred to her. She had not really explored her healing powers. Starlight had encouraged her to experiment. Perhaps she could concentrate on Severus and heal him, even if she didn't know where he was. It was worth a try.

Instinctively she knew what to do. It was as if the magic was guiding her. Giving her the ideas and helping her to execute them. She concentrated on Severus, down to the smallest detail. As she formed a picture of him in her mind, she felt the urge to send the healing spell, so she released it. She felt energy leave her body and knew the spell had gone somewhere. Reaching into her pocket she removed the stone again. To her amazement it glowed brightly. Perhaps it glowed even brighter than it had for months. It had worked! She had saved his life and hadn't even known where to find him!

She hugged the stone to her and replaced it in her pocket. Instinctively she knew that this type of healing spell would only work when the recipient was someone she was very close to. The amount of detail she had to put into her thoughts of Severus would only be possible with someone she knew rather intimately. Nonetheless, she had found another amazing attribute to her gift.

* * *

­­­­­­The next day she met Lucius at the Three Broomsticks. They sat silently for a while. Serina debated reading his mind, but didn't have the nerve to do it.

"So how have you been?" he finally asked her.

Shrugging her shoulders she made some comment about being as well as could be expected.

Snorting Lucius retorted, "Come now Serina. I'm your cousin, not just some idiot off the street!"

Serina narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay Lucius. I'm awful. My husband is a murderer and I haven't seen him for weeks. How do you expect me to be?"

Lucius looked as if he had been slapped and Serina immediately regretted her words.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly as she looked down at the table.

"It's alright," Lucius said finally. "You have every right to be angry. Do you even care to hear news about him?"

Serina looked back to him searchingly. "Have you any news to share?"

"I saw him just last night. He is well."

Lucius wasn't telling her anything she didn't know.

"Anything else?" she demanded.

Lucius gave her an innocent look. "Nothing, really."

Serina nodded. She would wait no longer. She reached into Lucius' mind. She was surprised to find his wall had a gaping hole in it. Evidentially, Voldemort had gotten through his defenses. She would need to be careful about what she told him from now on. She crawled through the hole and looked for signs of Severus. Ignoring Narcissa's prudish face, she walked farther into the memories and finally saw her husband speaking with Lucius just last night. He was telling him of being practically dead just a few hours before. Severus explained that he could feel his life slipping away from him and was about to lose consciousness when he had become completely healed. He could not give any explanation whatsoever and had wondered if Lucius had had something to do with it. Lucius of course, had been equally baffled.

She retreated from his mind with a smile on her face. Severus would probably ponder that moment for a while. Her smile widened genuinely as she looked over at Lucius. He was looking at her curiously.

"And just what are you smiling at, Cousin?"

"I'm just happy to be here with you, Lucius. You truly have lightened my mood, like you always do."

He smiled back at her. "Unfortunately, I'm going to have to cut our visit short. I need to be at a meeting."

He didn't need to tell her it was with Voldemort, for she had already seen the upcoming meeting in his mind. She was going to caution him about his business associates, but decided against it. He was firmly entrenched in the Dark side now. There was nothing she could say to deter him.

She did lay a hand on his and squeezed it lovingly. "Please be careful, Lucius. I worry about you every day."

He gave a quick nod. "Do you want me to give your regards to Severus?"

She got an evil glint in her eye. "Yes, tell him to go jump in a lake!"

Lucius laughed loudly at that as he rose from the table. "Do you really want me to tell him that?"

Serina's eyes twinkled. "Use your best judgment," was her only reply.

He stooped over and kissed her. "He still loves you, you know, and I'm willing to bet you still love him too."

"I know and I do," she confessed, squeezing his hand again.

"Will you ever take him back?"

"It's really hard to make that decision as I haven't laid eyes on him since he fled Hogwarts." She was angry again now.

Lucius took his hand and smoothed her hair. "I didn't mean to upset you. I know you'll eventually do what's best for you, my dear. If you ever need to talk, please find me."

She smiled at him. "I will. You are my greatest confidant."

He smiled at her and rose up straight. He walked proudly out of the bar and into the street. Serina finished her butterbeer and followed him out a few minutes later. As she exited the bar, she cast her mind out and around her, making sure she was safe. She had decided to do this whenever she was out in public. She probably would be a target at some point in this war. If she could determine who her attackers were before they attacked she would certainly have the upper hand.

Her mind traveled over the minds that surrounded her on the street. There were few people out today and there didn't seem to be any danger here. She could feel Lucius' presence as he went the opposite way from her on the street. Hagrid was eyeing some candy in the candy shop window. There were two women she didn't recognize off to the right of her, but neither of them was threatening. Serina stopped suddenly as she felt a presence near her. She swung herself around to face the alley that went behind the Three Broomsticks. There was a man hiding in the shadows. It was Severus. Their eyes met before he apparated away. In her shock she didn't even get time to sweep his mind. All she had seen was a longing for her. A great lump formed in her throat. She truly missed him terribly and seeing and feeling him had only driven that thought home. Forgetting to extend her mind anymore, she walked back to Hogwarts with tears streaming down her face the whole way.

* * *

The night before as Severus had spoken to Lucius, he had probed his mind and found that he was going to meet Serina at the Three Broomsticks. Severus had an insatiable desire to see her. He had apparated to the alleyway next to the bar a little while after their appointed meeting time.

He remained in the shadows and watched eagerly as people filed by. Finally, after what seemed to be hours, but probably wasn't more than a few minutes, there she was. Severus had never seen her look so beautiful. She had her hair pulled back and away from her face, but it flowed down her back in beautiful black curls. She wore a cream colored dress which was trimmed in blue. It flattered her shapely form nicely. He caught his breath as she strolled down the street.

Suddenly, she swung around and looked directly into his eyes. It was as if she knew he was there! His eyes locked with hers and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms again, but he could see the distrust in her eyes. He quickly apparated away, before she alerted someone to his presence.

He appeared at the little shack where he was hiding out and stormed in. Cursed life, cursed Dark Lord. His happiness was always one step ahead of him. All he wanted was to be with Serina again. Cursed love of his life, cursed lies. She would never trust him again, even if she knew the truth. Cursed Dumbledore, why did he have to come up with a plan that would destroy Severus along with himself? Cursed plan, cursed Order. Why did he have to fear for his life from everyone on the planet? Cursed people, cursed planet.

Throwing himself into the small lounge chair, he crossed his arms in front of him. Cursed chair that was too small, cursed shack. He scowled as he proceeded to curse everything that he could think of, even his beloved mother for giving birth to him.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: A chat with Aberforth and more training. C'mon you guys, I know you're still out there, review! Please? Hurry before I resort to begging. Oops, too late. _


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Serina sat in the Hog's Head bar, sipping a butterbeer. She was the only customer at the time and Aberforth Dumbledore stood next to her, leaning on the bar, looking at her. They had been making small talk for a few minutes now, but they both had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Serina broke it with a question.

"How are you getting on after your brother's death?"

Aberforth's eyes narrowed a bit. "We haven't been very close for a long while. We would visit now and then, but we each went about our own lives without much thought of the other."

"Still, it must be hard having to lose him in such a way," Serina said with compassion.

"And it must be hard having to find your husband is a murderer," Aberforth replied sympathetically.

Serina nodded. "It's not exactly what I would have hoped for in life," she said ruefully.

"I want you to know that I hold no hard feelings toward you. Severus however is a different story."

Serina understood completely. "I can't blame you for that, Aberforth." They sat in silence for a minute. "May I ask you a question about Albus?" she asked tentatively.

"Go ahead," Aberforth encouraged.

"Did he tell you much of his…special powers?"

Aberforth's eyes grew wide. "How do you know about them? I was the only person he told when he received them from that blasted Unicorn!"

Serina stared at Aberforth, puzzled at his negativity about the powers.

"I, well, he mentioned them to me a while back, but he never really went into detail. I was wondering how he felt about them, and how he dealt with them."

"They were a torture and a curse! Because of those powers, my sister was killed." Aberforth gave her an abridged version of what had happened between Albus and Grindelwald and the killing of his sister. "I wish Albus had never laid eyes on that Unicorn and it had never given him those powers!"

"Did Albus see them as a curse?" Serina asked.

"Sometimes; especially when little Arianna was killed. I think he would have killed himself if he hadn't vowed to get revenge on the one who killed her. I was too furious with Albus to feel for him, but looking back, he suffered horribly at her death and knew it was because of his powers. Mostly, though, when it came to those powers, I think he liked having an upper hand in everything he did."

"Yes, I often wondered how he knew so much about things, until he confided in me that he could read minds. He really didn't go into great detail on the other things he could do."

"Albus could do just about anything."

"Why didn't he kill Voldemort?" Serina got a little closer to Aberforth, anticipating the answer.

"He feared his powers. He avoided using them unless it was absolutely necessary. I think he was afraid that if he used the powers too much, they would take him over and he would become like the evil wizards of the past. He hoped that Voldemort could be defeated with only a little help and organization on his part."

"How do you feel about that? I think he should have taken Voldemort down when he had the chance." Serina looked annoyed.

"You're forgetting about the Horcruxes, and the prophecy. Oh yes, I know about the Horcruxes. I'm a member of the Order too and Albus has informed me of them. Besides, Harry Potter is the one who must defeat You-Know-Who, and he had already made many of the Horcruxes before he became known as Voldemort. Even if Albus had killed him, he would have come back through those Horcruxes. Ultimately, I think Albus did all he could with what he had. Had the circumstances been different, he might have been able to do more."

Serina nodded.

Aberforth narrowed his eyes at her. "I think your interest in this matter goes farther than just curiosity. Why are you asking all of these questions?"

Serina furrowed her brow. She wasn't sure if she should tell Aberforth what had happened to her. He, of course, was the only person on the planet that could understand what she was going through, though, having gone through it with Albus. She made her decision.

"The Unicorn gave me the same powers a couple of weeks ago. He mentioned that Albus had received them, and I wondered what he had done about them."

Aberforth's eyes widened into saucers. "Why on earth did that stupid Unicorn do such a thing to you?"

"He's rather noble actually. He said I could use my powers to help defeat Voldemort."

Aberforth was quiet for a while. "Albus was nervous and excited when he got the powers. He experimented some, but became frightened with them. He didn't like some of the mind control he was capable of. He perfected some techniques, I'm not entirely sure what, but he mostly left the powers alone. A new one would sometimes manifest itself, but he chose not to search them out."

It was Serina's turn to sit thoughtfully. "The Unicorn urged me to seek out my powers. I think I will need them all to be any use against Voldemort."

"Then that is what you should do. Do not follow Albus' example. He feared his powers would take over his sensibilities. Perhaps if he had found out more about them, he wouldn't have feared them so. Nonetheless, as you know, he was a great wizard. I can only imagine what things you will be able to accomplish if you fully explore the power the Unicorn has given you."

* * *

Serina stared at the mannequin of the Death Eater. She concentrated on disarming the dummy and its wand flew out of its hands. _That was easy, _she thought. _I need an opponent that can shoot spells at me, _she mused. Suddenly the mannequin morphed into a different one and began slowly sending stupefying spells at her. She automatically brandished her wand and began blocking them. Realizing she was supposed to do it with her mind, she became nervous. She would be left on the floor for a while if this didn't work. She lowered her wand and watched the dummy for its next spell. When it was released, she thought to block it. She could actually feel the strength of the block when it appeared. It was so much more powerful than her usual block was. She parried with the dummy for a few minutes then gave the mannequin an order.

"I want to work on Petrificus Totalus blocks."

The dummy changed spells accordingly and she blocked those. She went through a few more defense spells and then told the mannequin to stop. She regarded the dummy warily. Dare she try an unforgivable curse? The only option for her would be the _Cruciatus _curse as she didn't want to be killed, or forever _Imperioused_. She readied herself.

"Use one _Cruciatus _curse," she demanded.

This time her block sizzled when the curse hit it. She was impressed.

"More of them," she ordered and blocked them all.

"Send two at a time."

There were more crackles, but nothing got through her shield.

"Increase by one with each new round. Create new opponents and surround me."

She fought three, four, five at a time. Each time there were more sparks, but the shield held. As she reached ten, she noticed that the shield seemed to be weakening somewhat. Eleven curses singed her hair a bit, so she decided to stop.

She breathed heavily. That had been exhilarating, yet exhausting. The shield had surrounded her and none of the curses had been able to penetrate it from any angle. It had taken quite a bit of energy to fend off the curses, but she was incredibly happy with the results. She mulled over how to work on the other unforgivables. She would need help for the _Imperious _but she wasn't quite sure how to go about fighting off the _Avada Kedavra. _Maybe there wasn't a way to do it.

She went back to work and repeated everything she had practiced, this time with her wand in hand. She wanted anyone who watched her fight to think that she was using her wand, just like any other wizard would do. It took a bit of coordination to not use the wand, but point it just the same. She repeated each block first with the wand, then with the correctly conjured spell. This was indeed the hardest, for it was much easier to simply imagine what she wanted to happen, rather than think of the spell and then say it, all the while imagining it too. She had to repeat several of the exercises over and over again before she felt secure with them.

She wiped her brow and glanced at her watch. It was almost time for the Order meeting. She needed to go. Ever the polite witch, she thanked the Room of Requirement as she left.

* * *

The actual meeting had been rather brief. They had discussed meeting once a week to practice defensive spells. They had decided to start right that evening and continue weekly from there.

While the meeting went on, Serina concentrated on reading every one of the Order's member's minds. She really was amazed at the uniqueness of each one of them. Some had no defenses up, so they were literally an open book. But still the most interesting to her was the variety in defense walls. She saw a picket fence, (which made her chuckle at Mrs. Weasley,) and there were wooden ones. There were many cement ones, but none with a gate like Aberforth Dumbledore's. Some were simply like a wall in a house, made of thin sheetrock. She pleased herself in that none of them proved difficult to bypass.

Serina was really excited that they were going to begin a defense class. It would help her immensely in her personal studies. They had worked for about a half hour when she was partnered with Tonks.

"Tonks, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure!"

"I've personally been working on my own defenses. I know it's possible to fight off an _Imperious _curse, but I haven't been able to find someone to practice with me. Could you help me?"

Tonks looked Serina up and down. "It's quite difficult to master. It takes some Aurors months to be able to fight it. Some never learn."

"I understand that. I just feel that I need to be as prepared as humanly possible, given my affiliations with Death Eaters. I never know whether I'm to become a target or not."

Tonks gave her a quick nod in understanding. "Alright, let's have a go at it then. Don't worry if you can't control anything the first time."

She pointed her wand at Serina and said the spell. "_Imperio"_

Serina saw the spell leave the tip of Tonks wand and approach her. She felt the spell hit her and go through her body as if she were invisible.

Tonks lowered her wand and then said, "Scratch your nose."

Serina looked at her quizzically, but had no inclination to do what she asked.

Tonks' eyes widened in disbelief. "Jump up and down."

Still Serina had no inclination to do anything.

"Wow, this may be a first!" Tonks exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Serina asked, eyeing her curiously.

"No one has ever been able to fight off the _Imperius _curse on the first try. You must have quite a bit of will power!"

Serina smiled at Tonks. "I don't even feel like I was trying! Can you try it a couple more times, so I know what it feels like?"

"Sure! I love doing the unforgivables, but usually against an enemy." She smiled at Serina and then threw the curse at her as a surprise.

Again Serina felt it pass through her and she held no desires to do anything Tonks asked. Tonks repeated the exercise twice more than gave up, claiming she was bored. Serina smiled and thanked her and they continued to do the regular training.

As they worked, she noticed that Molly Weasley and Mad-Eye Moody were standing next to them, throwing and diverting hexes. Mad-Eye was giving Molly a workout and she was twisting all over trying to deflect his spells. She hardly had any time to send any back. Mad-Eye sent a _Stupify_ spell at her that narrowly missed her. She turned and sent a spell flying back at him, but her angle was off. Serina stared in shock as the spell sped toward Tonks.

Serina reacted instantly, throwing protection around Tonks and the spell bounced off her well developed shield. Tonks hadn't even noticed the spell coming at her and blinked a few times when she saw it shoot off of something that appeared out of nowhere.

She looked around. "What was that?"

Serina could only gape at her. She hadn't realized she could protect others with her shield.

Mad-Eye and Molly had stopped their sparring to rush over to Tonks. None of them realized that it had been Serina who had thrown the shield. She chose to keep it that way.

"What on earth happened?" Mad-Eye demanded.

"I don't know! My spell went the wrong way and then it was just bouncing off of her like she was surrounded in rubber or something." This came from Molly, who was inspecting every inch of Tonks for injuries.

Serina piped in, "Nice save Tonks!"

"But, I didn't do anything. I didn't even see the spell coming!" Tonks cried.

"Wow, you're better than I thought!" Serina quipped, hoping she wasn't going on too much.

Mad-Eye gave her a stern look, but then looked back at Tonks. She just shrugged at him. They decided to drop the matter and went back to practicing. Serina inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

The practice session finally ended and everyone was secretly glad. They had all been worn out by defending the many hexes that had been thrust at them. Serina decided to head back home and wished everyone a good night. She was serenaded with a chorus of good byes directed at her as she left.

Stepping outside she apparated back to Hogwarts. In high spirits, she made her way to the entrance to the school, humming to herself. She was excited to get to work tomorrow on extending her shield. That would be a lot of fun.

* * *

_A/N: I was going to update in a few days, but this is for Drunkonmusic Gals, who can't bear waiting for a certain something to happen and is probably biting her nails as you read this. Next up: More training and a hint as to what Severus is doing with his time. Review please, it only takes a minute and you'll have my undying love._


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Extending her shield wound up being not quite as fun as she had expected. The ability to extend a shield was difficult and draining. Each time she did it, she could feel herself weaken slightly. But she did make some great discoveries. She could extend her shield over quite a distance. As of now, she could protect someone from across the Room of Requirement, but the farther away, the more energy she used and the fewer spells she could hold up against, leaving her weak and tired. She could shield multiple people. She had filled the entire room with mannequins and was able to shield every one from a stunning spell. She found that the more intense the spell was, the fewer people she could protect. Any spell she could shield herself from, she could shield others from also. That really gave her great comfort. She would be able to help her friends when they needed her in battle.

After shielding three dummies from the _Cruciatus _she collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. When she blocked these spells, she tried to do it secretly, so it had even taken more skill to not have the crackling sound as the _Cruciatus _hit her shield. She had foolishly practiced too much and weakened herself considerably. She laid on the floor, getting her energy back. She took the time to plan. She would need to know where her extremes were. How much was too much and too debilitating. That would be her job for tomorrow and the next few days.

She reflected on her training and how the time had passed so quickly. The new school year was about to start. She wouldn't have as much free time and would have to practice wisely to accomplish all that she must before confronting Voldemort.

She already had started to form a plan in her mind. If she could get close to Voldemort and have him trust her, she would have him practically at her mercy. She was considering becoming a Death Eater, but she would only resort to that if she saw no other choice. Actually, she already knew there would be no alternative. She just hated the thought of becoming the thing she hated most.

Her heart ached for Lucius and Severus. They were tied to a way of life that was torturous and evil, and couldn't escape. When she had probed Lucius' mind, she had noticed it. Small misgivings were interspersed in his thoughts. They were hiding in the very shadows of his somewhat occluded mind. They had been afraid to grow for fear of being discovered. She knew that his heart was no longer in it and it made her have hope for him.

And Severus had walked the fine line between Dark and Light for years. She couldn't understand why he had suddenly gone back to what he had forsaken so many years ago. Albus' words echoed in her mind again. They had been coming and going at inopportune moments for the last few months. By inopportune Serina meant anytime she thought of Severus being a traitor. Then the Unicorn's advice would kick in and she would feel severely chastised by people who weren't even present in the room.

She wished she knew where he was. She took out the rock and looked at its glowing form. He was still alive, that was good. She wanted to know the truth about him. That it could even be possible that he was still on their side was hard to imagine, but she had promised to find out the full truth before passing judgment. How she wished that there was some other explanation for his actions. Her heart ached to be near him. She missed him so much. She tried to clear her mind of him, but his face kept coming back to her, making her want him all the more.

She pushed herself from the floor and stood. She was done for the day. Tomorrow she would work more.

* * *

Serina tossed and turned in her bed. She was in the throes of a dream. Severus was holding her, kissing her. He moved and whispered into her ear.

"Remember, I will always love you."

The words echoed over and over again as she saw him now on the Astronomy Tower. He lifted his wand and his face filled with hate.

_Remember, I will always love you._

"Avada Kedavra!"

_Remember, I will always love you._

Dumbledore crashed over the wall of the tower and fell to his death.

_Remember, I will always love you._

Severus lowered his wand and disappeared into the night.

_Remember, I will always love you._

Serina sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily. Tears were coursing down her cheeks. She put her face into her hands and sobbed loudly. She didn't know how much longer she could take this dream. It had replaced the one of Severus in the Shrieking Shack. Now this was her nightly dream. It had started right after Dumbledore's death. She had tried to ignore it for all of this time, but it was disturbing her more and more as the weeks went on.

How could she reconcile his love for her and his being a murderer? The two thoughts were tearing away at her psyche and she didn't know if she would just eventually accept them or go insane trying to.

Her shoulders slumped. There must be another explanation about Dumbledore's death. Severus had always been on their side after Lily. There was no reason for him to turn sides now. She had to be missing something, but for the life of her, she didn't know what.

Once again Dumbledore's words and the words of the Unicorn ran through her mind. Starlight knew the truth, but wouldn't tell her. But would he have even encouraged her to seek out the truth if there had been nothing more than murder behind Severus' actions? He had told her that she didn't know all of the facts. But would the facts clear Severus, or damn him even worse? Serina sighed. She would find out the truth eventually. She would need to be patient. She only hoped that the truth would serve to relieve her, and not send her to the brink of insanity.

* * *

Severus stood in the circle of Death Eaters. They were out in the woods circling a bonfire. They awaited their master and many of them were already celebrating. The night before, they had attacked a party given by the Ministry. It had been held in a posh Wizarding restaurant in London. The party goers were unaware of any danger until it was too late. The Death Eaters had appeared en masse and began striking down anyone they were close to. Several high ranking Ministry officials had been killed, including Percy Weasley. Unfortunately, their main target, the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, had been unharmed in the attack.

As the Death Eaters celebrated, Severus stood idly by, pretending to be happy. Actually, he was pleased that things hadn't gone worse. He had caught a glimpse of Scrimgeour when he got to the restaurant and was able to covertly protect him, stunning any Death Eater who took aim at the Minister. He had been lucky not to be discovered; in the confusion, no one noticed him firing away at his supposed compatriots. He smiled to himself underneath his mask.

All at once there was a hush over the group as Voldemort apparated at the head of the circle. He laughed evilly, his head thrown back and then began to address his minions.

"Ah, my loyal followers, you did well last night! But alas, I am still unhappy with the outcome. Our objective was not reached. Rufus Scrimgeour still lives! Now he will be more careful and shield himself even harder. It will be difficult for us to get another chance at him. Of course, the time will come when we will have him and take the Ministry, but in your failure, you have set us back, perhaps months!"

The Death Eaters were silent. Unsure if they were to be punished for their success. Voldemort's eyes flashed at each one of them before he spoke again.

"However, as I originally said, you did do well last night. So therefore, I have brought you all a little something to play with."

A man and woman appeared near the bonfire in the center of the circle. By the looks of it, they were Muggles. Some laughs were heard from the Death Eaters as the couple embraced each other in fear.

"Now, see here!" said the male Muggle. "I have a lot of connections. If you could just let us go, I'll make it well worth your while."

The woman just whimpered in terror.

Severus winced under his mask, knowing that death would be far off for this couple, as the Death Eaters would try out their new spells of torture on them before they were killed.

Severus took in his surroundings. The Death Eaters on each side of him had closed in on the couple, extending their wands. It had left him outside of the circle and he took this opportunity to quietly slip back into the trees. He knew that the rest of the 'meeting' would just consist of the torture and killing of this couple, so it would be safe for him to leave. The last thing he wished to see was more death. Once he was far enough away from the group, he apparated back to his hideaway shack.

He entered the small house and threw his mask and cloak on the ground by the door. He went to the kitchen area and made some tea. Grabbing the steaming cup he set it on the table and sat over it. He had been looking at these four walls now for some time and was growing tired of the solitude. The only time he saw others was when he attended a meeting like the one this evening, or when he had been summoned by the Dark Lord. Usually that meant some search for someone and he would be gone for up to a week.

Oh how he hated his life. He missed the business of Hogwarts, and, he even admitted he missed the students and faculty. Even though he liked his solitude, being stuck in a shack endlessly was not high on his list of great things to do. He missed the intellectual stimulation he would get from his colleagues. He even missed teaching some. He had not been able to demean anyone in the longest time and he found himself craving the ability to call someone a dunderhead without fearing a _Cruciatus_ curse being thrown at him.

Of course, these things only pained him slightly. The thing he really missed, and craved, was his wife. He missed seeing her beautiful eyes looking at him. He missed feeling her close to him. He missed everything about her. Night time was the worst. He would curl up in the small bed in the shack and long for her body to be beside him. Sometimes he would even reach out for her, before realizing that she wasn't there and never would be again. What he wouldn't do to be able to encircle her in his arms one last time.

He wished that he had a magic mirror of some sort that would let him see her. He worried about her constantly. He knew that Voldemort had hoped that Severus could convince her to join the Death Eaters and had been sorely put out when she had not turned. Severus secretly suspected that Voldemort would send someone to hurt her or capture her at some point. He knew the only thing that was keeping her alive was Lucius and himself. Their loyalty assured the safety of their families, whether those family members were involved with the Death Eaters or not.

He wondered what Serina was doing now. Had she gotten over him yet? He swallowed hard. Had she moved on? Was there someone else? Even if there wasn't, how could he ever expect her to understand and forgive him? He had deserted her. She was all by herself now, the love they had, destroyed by his duplicity. His life would never be the same again. He glanced down at his wedding ring, remembering his wedding vows to Serina. She had looked lovingly into his eyes as he had repeated them.

"_I promise to always stand by your side and protect you, for you are my partner. I promise to cherish you forever for you are my soul mate. I promise to love you always, for you are my life."_

Anger filled him as he thought of his broken vows. He was not by her side, nor could he protect her now. If anything happened to her, it would be his fault. He clenched his fists in fury. He should be with her, not alone in this shack. She needed him. He needed her. She was, as he had said in his vows, his life. But what could he do? If he apparated to her, what would he say? How could he look into her eyes ever again? They would be filled with hatred toward him. He couldn't bear to see that.

She was the only one who had understood everything about him. He would never be able to live with himself seeing the doubt he put into her eyes. Or worse, the fear or hatred she must feel for him now. He would rather wither away and die than see that.

He could never go back to her. She would never know the truth about him. He would be killed in this horrible war, probably by Voldemort's own hand, and she would never even know. She would always think of him as a traitor and murderer and he would never see her again. His life was over. It would be better if he were dead already; there was nothing more for him to live for. He picked up his tea cup and flung it across the room. It shattered against the wall, breaking into a thousand shards of china.

He looked at the remains of the cup and thought; _it's shattered, just like my life._

* * *

_A/N: Next up: The Imperioused Dinner. Thanks for reading and reviewing._


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Serina spent the next few days outdoors, extending her shield as far as she could. She also had pushed herself to the limit in shielding. She now knew her limitations. She still felt unprepared for everything that was to come, but her confidence was growing with each new discovery.

She sat at dinner chatting with Minerva. As Minerva told her about the next week of new school year preparations, Serina's mind wandered and she eyed some of the food on the table. She spied a chocolate cream pie about half way down the table and looked at it longingly, craving a piece.

Suddenly Minerva stopped and said, "Oh, I must have a piece of that pie!" She turned around and had it passed to her. Serina looked at her. That had come out of the blue. The pie had not even been in Minerva's line of sight and it coincided oddly with her own craving. Perhaps she had influenced the woman in some way? This definitely deserved further investigation.

Minerva offered her the pie and she thanked her enthusiastically and placed a piece on her plate. The two women enjoyed their dessert, but Serina decided to test her theory as the silence passed. She tried to put the thought into Minerva's mind that she didn't like the chocolate in the pie.

"You know," Minerva said while frowning, "this chocolate in here is really bitter."

Serina almost chocked on her pie. "I don't think so," she managed to say.

She then had Minerva decide to have some trifle instead.

Without another word, Minerva reached for the trifle and scooped some onto her plate.

_It's the best trifle you've ever had. _Serina thought.

"Oh, you need to try this Serina. It's the best trifle I've ever tasted!"

Serina coughed on her pie and had to take a great gulp of pumpkin juice. She grimaced. Pumpkin juice and chocolate pie didn't mix well.

She decided to leave Minerva alone and see who else was susceptible. Looking over at Hagrid she thought to him, _You forgot to feed Fang._

Suddenly Hagrid jumped up from the table muttering something about his dog. He grabbed his entire plate and rushed from the room.

She looked at Trelawney. _Take off your glasses and clean them._

The woman removed her glasses and started rubbing them furiously and holding them to the light.

Looking at Flitwick she thought, _Scratch your head._

He complied.

Turning back to Minerva she tried one last thing. _Tell me how much you enjoy the beginning of the year preparations._

Minerva started in on how much she loved all of this planning and organization for the new school year. Serina felt a growing knot in her stomach as she listened to Minerva prattle on about her love for this time of hear. She knew that in reality, Minerva found most of the things she had to do right now quite exhausting and worrisome. She had only been remarking about it a few minutes ago, saying how taxing it all was and how she wished it were all taken care of already. She excused herself from the table, giving Minerva a sorry excuse for having to leave and retreated to her room.

She was seriously frightened. She could make anyone do anything she wanted. It was like having an inexhaustible _Imperious _curse at her disposal. No wonder the Unicorns gave this gift to so few. She saw the value in it, but the outcome was so terrifying. Even the small things she had made her friends do made her feel evil. She promised herself she would only use this particular power on Death Eaters. She would never again practice it among her friends, no matter how innocuous the act.

Her dreams that night were filled with zombies bowing to her and giving her blank stares. They killed each other and tortured one another. When she saw Severus blankly slitting his throat open she woke up screaming. She tossed and turned for the rest of the sleepless night.

* * *

It took Serina a few days to get over her shock at her newfound mind capabilities. She eventually came to the conclusion that they would benefit the cause greatly. If she could influence Voldemort in any way, that would be an ace in their pockets. She also came to the conclusion that her actions were her own and even though she had such extensive powers, no one was forcing her to use them. She had the will power to not abuse them. It was just like having a wand, actually. Everyone was instructed in the unforgivable curses. But it was an evil wizard who used such things, especially for their own gain.

She had also developed a hypothesis. If she could read minds and direct minds, then it was possible that she could speak to them too. She had been toying with the idea in her head since the 'Imperioused' dinner. Yes, she had to label it that so she wouldn't ever forget how it felt. She knew the Unicorns could speak within other's minds, so it was probable that she held the ability also. The next day the students arrived and she thought that a large room filled with people would be just the place to secretly test her theory.

Breaking from her deep thoughts, Serina picked up the spider she had been observing. She remembered hearing the students talking about how Moody had taught about the unforgivables using a spider and she had gotten an idea. She placed the spider back on the floor and enlarged it. Setting her shield around it she pronounced the killing curse. She watched as the curse bounced off the shield and headed straight back at her.

Fear gripped her as she jumped out of the way and extended her shield around herself. The curse barely missed her. So much for a safe way to test out the _Avada Kedavra_. She sat up on the floor and regarded the spider, which was crawling around on the floor as if nothing happened. Thinking about the meaning of this for her, she realized that she was practically invincible. That was pretty comforting. But of course, even with that knowledge, she needed to keep her wits about her and plan accordingly. Even with all the power in the world, stupidity would kill you every time.

* * *

Serina entered the Great Hall and took her place at the table. She greeted Professor Flitwick and Headmaster McGonagall as she sat down. They were the first three to be seated, but she could see most of the other teachers making their way to the large table set at the head of the hall. Soon after all the teachers were seated, the students started filing in, chatting amiably with their friends as they found their places at the appropriate table.

Serina marveled at the lot of it. It had only been a few months since Dumbledore's death, but the children were remarkably resilient. They acted as if nothing was wrong in the world. She wished she could share their optimism.

Of course not all of the faces were happy. The older students seemed to be a bit more subdued this year. She looked at the entrance just in time to see Harry Potter enter, flanked by Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. She smiled to herself. Some things never changed. But they weren't the happy go lucky students they had been in years past, despite all of the trials they had been through. She saw Harry's eyes go straight to the Headmaster's chair and he frowned. Serina knew it wasn't because Minerva was the new Headmaster, but it was because he, of all the students at Hogwarts, would miss Dumbledore the most.

They found their seats and Serina chose other students to stare at and muse over. Soon the festivities were under way. The first years were sorted, the speeches were given, and everyone dug into their dinners. It was time for Serina to have some fun. She chose a random student. Her cousin Draco would do nicely.

_Hey, Draco, look behind you! _she thought.

The boy spun around and saw nothing. He got red in the face and turned back to his dinner, scowling down at his plate.

Serina laughed to herself. She had managed to embarrass Lucius' usually unflappable son. She chose another victim, this time a Ravenclaw.

_Luna, hey Luna, hi!_

Luna Lovegood looked around curiously, and then pulled at the odd necklace that was around her neck. She was probably chasing off the Narguls.

She chose a first year Hufflepuff whose name she couldn't remember.

_Hey, I'm here under the table!_

The boy checked under the table and found nothing. Trying to look cool, he just cleared his throat and continued his dinner.

Well, she seemed to be able to communicate pretty well. She had left the most important communication for last. She turned to Harry Potter.

_Harry! Hey Harry?_

Harry looked around curiously.

Experimenting, Serina studied her plate and continued.

_If you can hear me, Harry, try to answer back. Just think the response._

She waited and was rewarded with his reply in her head.

_Who is this and how did you get into my head?_

_I am a friend, but I cannot tell you who. There's nothing to worry about, I'm just doing an experiment. Can you hear me clearly?_

_How do I know you're a friend?_ Harry asked suspiciously.

_Harry, everyone here is your friend. Well, maybe not the blokes at the Slytherin table, but other than that, we are all with you and we support your fight against Voldemort._

She had looked to see him stifle a laugh when she had mentioned the Slytherins and grinned to herself.

_Why can't you tell me who you are?_ Harry asked.

_Because I know you're a terrible Occlumens. If you know who I am you could accidentally betray my little secret here and I am unwilling to have anyone find out my ability._

_I'm not a Terrible Occlumens!_

_Harry, let's not argue about facts here._

_Well you're not very nice! Maybe I won't talk with you anymore._

_Of course you will. I see you looking around trying to figure out who I am. Good luck._

Serina kept her eyes trained on her meal for a few minutes, slowly taking a few bites before she glanced at him again.

Harry finally responded. _Why did you choose me to talk to?_

_You understand the importance of privacy. I know you will not divulge this conversation to anyone if I ask you not to._

_So are you asking me not to, then?_

_Yes, I am._

_Why are you doing this anyway?_

_This is a new little trick I've discovered. I wanted to test it out._

_Seems like it works pretty well, _Harry said.

_Yes, it does, doesn't it?_ Serina said with some pride in her voice.

_So why keep it a secret?_

_It can be useful in the cause for Light. I will not compromise it. Besides, if Voldemort found out I had such ability, he would capture me and use it against my will._

_You're right of course._

_I will leave you to your friends now Harry. Have a good night, and good luck fighting You-Know-Who._

_Thanks. Will you talk to me again sometime?_

_I am not sure, but if you ever need my help and I am available, I will be there for you. You can count on me Harry._

_Thanks. Even though I don't know who you are, I find the idea of you just being there really comforting._

Serina closed the link and looked at the boy affectionately. He had not glanced at the teacher's table, but he was looking around again. She averted her eyes just before Harry's fell upon her. She so hoped that she could help him in his mission.

* * *

Serina sat in her study with a book on her lap. It was unopened and she stared into space, deep in thought. She was ready and she knew it. Instinctively she knew she had discovered all of her extensive abilities and had perfected them. It was time for her to put her plan into action. Unfortunately, she was scared to death. She neither wanted to start her plan, nor expose herself to Voldemort. What if he somehow could see through her? _She could make him see whatever she wanted him to see_, she argued with herself. What if she joined the Death Eaters only to be killed by their enemies? _Not bloody likely_, she replied. What if, even with all she had learned, she could not help Harry? _She would have given it her best, which was all she could do anyway. _

The argument went back and forth in her head for a while until finally she asked herself, _What are you going to do about Severus?_ There were actually two possible answers to this one. She would find out his true intentions and depending upon those, she would either confess everything to him and work with him, or pretend she hated him and avoid him like the plague. She felt the latter option was really brilliant. She frowned and shook her head at her silly joke. She honestly didn't know what to do if Severus had truly turned against them.

Her plan in general was pretty simple. Play upon the ego of Voldemort. He was power hungry so she would pretend to be power hungry also. She would give him an offer he couldn't refuse: her secrets about the Order for a place at his side when he came into his own.

Most of the secrets she would share would be blatant lies that she would help him to believe through her mind powers, but one would be very true. The Order had decided to continue their training at Hogwarts during the school year. She had told them a little of her use of the Room of Requirement and Harry Potter had backed her telling them of the DA's use of it. They were eager to use such a room. They decided it would be prudent to only use it sporadically and never on the same night twice. A schedule had been drawn up using the room once a month.

Serina had been ecstatic about this new development. She could hopefully convince Voldemort to strike at the Order when it was practicing. She would get word to them beforehand and they would be ready and waiting for the ambush. It would be the best possible chance for the Order to strike a blow against Voldemort and he would actually come to them.

There was only one problem with her plan. She had to die before she could put it into effect.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Severus finds out about Serina's death. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I enjoy hearing from you. (hint, hint) Yeah, it would be nice to hear your views on what's going on in the story. (hint, hint) I would be eternally grateful. Well, extremely grateful at least._


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Serina knew she needed to fake her death. She didn't want the Order to know that she was defecting. She wanted them to keep all of the plans that they had in motion, especially the training sessions. After she had established that she was dead, she could approach Voldemort and help him 'behind the sidelines' as it were. Few would have the need to know of her existence.

She hated tricking her friends like this, but she hoped that they would eventually understand. She was hoping to bring this war to a quick end. Doubt flooder into her. Was she being too quick about everything? Was she overestimating her ability to influence Voldemort?

She remembered Starlight's confidence in her. He knew that she would know when the time was right to implement her plan. He also had the gift of foresight into the future. Hopefully he had entrusted her with these remarkable gifts because he could see that she was the one who would be able to use them to defeat Voldemort. Casting her doubts and fears aside, she finally made the final decision to implement her plan.

* * *

The next morning Serina rose and gathered the things she would need. She really didn't need much of anything to tell the truth. Some clothes, her wand, a couple of books. That was it. She shrunk everything but her wand and placed them into her pocket. Reaching into her other pocket, she extracted the blue stone. It still glowed. It had not faded since that one fretful day when it had actually gone out.

One good thing about this plan was she would finally learn the truth about Severus. No matter how long it took, he was bound to show up to his master. She pocketed the rock and headed for the Headmistresses office.

Standing in front of Minerva, she told her that she needed to get away for the weekend. She had been stressed with the first weeks of school; she had felt Severus' absence more so without him there teaching. She just wanted to get away from everything, she explained. It wasn't a lie. Every day she thought of him and missed him more.

"Of course, Serina, take all the time you like. Where are you headed?"

"I have a cottage on a lake that I like to frequent when I need to think."

"Make sure to put up wards to protect yourself. After all, you'll be all alone in the woods."

"Oh, I'll be fine." Serina said waving her hand at Minerva in protest.

"Nonetheless, one can't be too careful these days." Minerva chided her.

"Yes, Headmistress," Serina conceded, knowing full well there would be no wards to protect her home. She wanted it exposed.

"Have a nice weekend then," Minerva wished.

"Thanks!" Serena said, "See you on Monday."

She left the school and apparated to a cabin hidden in the woods. A few yards away a beautiful lake shimmered happily. She entered the cabin and put her clothes into the closet. She set the books by her bedside. Glancing around the cabin she was pleased with how it had turned out. It was an exact copy to the cabin that sat on the other side of the lake. The difference with this cabin was that it was unplottable. She felt a twinge about what was to happen to the original cabin. It had been in her family for years, and she had enjoyed many summers there, swimming in the lake and doing other fun things with her brother. Sometimes the Malfoys would join them and she and Lucius would spend endless hours swinging out over the lake on a rope hanging from a nearby tree branch.

Well, they could eventually start new memories with this new cabin, once everything was settled with the war. Checking her watch, she noticed she had a few hours before she put her plan into operation. She settled into an easy chair and _Accio'd _one of her books to her and began to read.

* * *

A while later she was ready to go. She had eaten a quick lunch and warded the house with her mind. She apparated and appeared in front of a cabin that looked much like the first. Concentrating on a room on the left side of the cabin she set it ablaze. She set a Dark Mark over the cabin and then released her Patronus. It would tell Minerva that she had been ambushed by Death Eaters and was fighting for her life. After a minute she set the rest of the cabin ablaze. She watched remorsefully as the cabin was engulfed in flames, then she made herself invisible.

Remus Lupin was the first one on the scene. He tried to extinguish the blaze, but his _Augamenti _spell was useless. Serina had made sure that these flames wouldn't be easily put out. He then tried to enter the burning cabin but was unable to find an opening. He continued to search around the house, so she felt it important to send him a message that it was impossible to get to her inside. He slowly backed away from the cabin, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the flames. Moody, Tonks, and the Weasleys were the next to arrive. They could do no more than Lupin.

Serina watched as the cabin turned slowly to ashes. She glanced at Tonks and saw that she was crying. She wished she could put her arm around the witch, but that would negate everything that she had so painfully set in motion. They waited until the flames died and there was nothing but embers and ash. The cabin was completely burned to the ground.

"Why would somebody do this to her?" Lupin asked.

Moody just shook his head. "No tellin' what these Death Eaters think. They'll skin their own mother if it gets them in with You-Know-Who."

Molly looked at Moody aghast. "You don't think Severus did this, do you?"

Nobody said a word.

After a while Tonks spoke up. "I think I know why this happened," she whispered.

The others looked to her for an explanation.

"Remember when we were dueling and that stray hex almost hit me?"

The others nodded.

"I eventually figured out what happened. It had to be Serina. She must have found a way to protect others with her magic. It's the only possible explanation. She acted awfully evasive when it happened. Perhaps Voldemort found out about her ability somehow and sent the Death Eaters to kill her so she couldn't protect anyone on the battlefield."

Mad Eye harrumphed. "I thought there was something odd about her reaction that day, but I just decided to let it go, thinking she was just overexcited or something."

The five of them continued to stare gloomily at the burnt remains of the cottage. Grief eventually encompassed them. Molly and Tonks embraced each other, tears running down their faces. Arthur was behind his wife, comforting her with his hand on her shoulder. Finally, admitting that there was nothing left to do, they decided to leave. They all apparated away and Serina was left to herself again.

She chewed at her lip. She was glad she decided to fake her death. If Tonks knew about her powers, her cover could possibly have been blown. She obviously hadn't given the witch the credit she deserved in thinking that she wouldn't have figured out the obvious. At least now, no one would think that she was involved with anything that happened in the future.

She looked back at the cottage. She hadn't intended to make it look like Severus had set the cabin ablaze. Oh well, what was done was done. She couldn't turn back now. She didn't think that the Order could think any less of Severus anyway. He was dead to them in every way possible. She suddenly felt very sad about that.

* * *

She didn't have long to wait for more company. Soon a Death Eater arrived. It was Bellatrix Lestrange of all people. Serina was tempted to fell the wench right there, but she needed her to report to Voldemort. She watched as Bellatrix rounded the house, looking for clues. There were none. Serina had made sure of that. She watched Bellatrix throw her head back and laugh. Serina's blood boiled. One day she would wipe that ludicrous grin from off of Bellatrix's face and she would be nothing but a lump of flesh on the floor.

Searching Bellatrix's mind, she found her accepting of the scene, not that that hadn't been obvious already. Bellatrix would report Serina's death to the Dark Lord as Serina wanted. After looking around a minute more, Bellatrix disapparated away.

Serina sat down. She wasn't sure if there would be any other visitors, but if there were, she needed to be here, in case they needed some mental push to the correct conclusions.

* * *

Bellatrix appeared in front of Malfoy manor and hurried inside.

"I must speak to the Dark Lord immediately!" she bellowed to the butler. He bowed low and escorted her to a doorway. Leaving her outside of it he entered and reappeared after a moment.

"The Dark Lord will see you now," he told her.

Bellatrix rushed in. "My Lord, I have news!" she said eagerly.

"Bella, you're in a chipper mood!"

I have investigated the Dark Mark that appeared over the wooded cabin, My Lord. It was indeed the cabin of Serina Snape! There is nothing left. She was burned alive!" Bellatrix's eyes widened in pleasure as she said the last part.

"Who did it?" Voldemort demanded.

"I do not know. Either the person fled, or he was caught in the fire with the woman. There was nothing left of the cabin."

"I ordered no such murder. Who has defied me?"

Bellatrix gave a little titter. "No one would dare defy you, My Lord! Maybe it was one of the new ones, trying to prove himself."

"Perhaps. Bellatrix, find out who did this. I want to see them immediately."

"Yes my Lord. I will find them." With that she turned and marched out the door.

Voldemort mulled over the incident for a minute and then summoned Lucius and Severus. A few minutes later the two men stood in front of him, eyeing him curiously.

"You sent for us My Lord," Severus said.

"Yes, I'm afraid I have some sad news for you." He feigned sorrow.

"What is that, My Lord," asked Lucius.

"It has to do with Serina. It seems that she was in her cabin at the lake when a Death Eater stumbled upon her. He killed her and burned the cabin to the ground."

Voldemort watched as the two men looked at him in horror.

"I did not authorize this attack and I am searching for the culprit to find his motives. I will not let my Death Eaters run amok, killing for no reason and without being ordered to. It is possible, however, that the man was caught in the blaze and may have perished himself. I may never have the full story for you. You may go. I will summon you again when I have some answers."

The two men tried not to let any emotion show in their faces. They both nodded to their master and left the room. When the door had closed behind them, Lucius took Severus by the arm and led him into the study. He closed the door behind them for privacy.

"Is it possible, that she survived, do you think?" he asked Severus.

He looked grimly down at the floor as he answered Lucius. "If she was attacked and the house burned, I would think she must have been in it." Severus' voice was almost a whisper.

Lucius' voice blazed with anger. "You must go and find out the truth. Find out who did this and cut him down before the Dark Lord rewards him for his treachery. You must avenge her death, Severus."

Severus looked into Lucius' eyes. "I will not rest until it is done."

He turned and glided out of the room and out the door, disapparating to the cabin as soon as he was clear of the Malfoy gates.

* * *

Serina had waited for half an hour with no new visitors. She was unsure how much longer she should wait. Both factions had attested to her death. She didn't know if anyone else would find the burned down cabin worth a look. She got to her feet and was about to apparate away when she heard a pop, almost on top of her. Glancing to her left, she turned to see who the newcomer was. It was Severus.

* * *

_A/N: Coming up: The truth revealed. (Yay, you all say.) Yes, finally Serina will find out the truth about Severus. (Took you long enough, you all exclaim.) Thank you all for your kind reviews. Keep 'em coming. _


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Serina gaped at Severus as he stood there and a low growl escaped his lips. It was wild in nature. She saw tears stream down his cheeks before he started for the remains of the cabin.

Severus stared at the destroyed cabin. There was nothing left. A guttural sound escaped from his lips as he realized his wife was dead. He would never see her beautiful smile again. She would never hold him and tell him that she loved him. He realized that somewhere deep down, he had had a slight hope that she would be able to forgive him for his actions and take him back, but now even that tiny bit of hope was dashed. She was gone. They were forever separated and she never knew. She never knew that he wasn't the monster she thought he was. Tears streamed down his face as he got closer to the cabin. Perhaps he could find something of her in the ashes. Maybe her wedding ring had survived. At least he would have something to remember her by.

Part of Serina wanted to embrace Severus right away when she saw him, but she needed to find his motives first. She quickly swept into his mind. At first the immense grief threatened to knock her over. She had never felt such strong emotions as this coming from him. There was extreme grief, anger, guilt? The guilt for abandoning her and not being truthful to her threatened to overcome him. He had wished he could tell her everything, but now he felt he never would be able to make amends for his actions.

She fought against the overbearing tide of emotions and went further back into his mind. She came to his wall. It was like no other she had ever seen. It was made of thick concrete which was surrounded by steel. On top of the steel, there was more steel in criss-cross bars that made x's along the front of the wall. She wondered if his wall was penetrable at all. Approaching it, she touched it and could feel how solid it was. No wonder Voldemort never knew of Severus' duplicity.

She put pressure on it and felt it give. It was like a foam sponge. She squeezed herself into it and passed through the thick wall. For a minute she was completely buried within the wall, it was so thick, and then she finally reached the other side and emerged to her goal. Looking around she saw many things that interested her. There were scenes from his childhood and days at Hogwarts. Many of these memories were unpleasant. He had also hidden many of his intense feelings for her in here, where they would be safe. She marveled at his love for her. It was so intense that she was almost knocked back by the depth of it.

She saw Dumbledore in the far corner and was drawn to him. Severus was trying to heal the horrid wound that he had acquired the last summer of his life. Listening in on their conversation, the truth was suddenly clear to her. They had planned his death together, to save Draco. She sped ahead to that evening when Severus had been so filled with fear and they had sat in silence for hours. Reliving it from his point of view she saw him eventually come to acceptance with having to end Dumbledore's life, but remain anguished about keeping her in the dark about everything. Then she was on the roof of the Astronomy tower. Severus was furious that Dumbledore was making him destroy his life. He killed him and ran from the roof.

There were several memories of Severus telling half truths to Voldemort in these past few months, and some uglier memories of raids and the like since then. Serina withdrew from his memories, feeling a bit guilty that she had invaded his privacy in that way, but she had no choice.

She focused in on Severus. Although she had taken her time, she had only been in his mind for less than a minute. He was still walking toward the ruined cabin. Serina's heart ached for all of the misery he had been through these past few months. She couldn't stand seeing him miserable about her death for a minute longer. She quickly went to his side.

By this time he had reached the ashes and was kneeling down in them, sweeping them with his hand and muttering to himself. Serina listened carefully and could hear him mumble "Where is she," repeatedly. His voice was shaky and sounded hollow.

Making sure no one was near; she squatted next to him and made herself visible. Placing a hand on his shoulder she said, "Severus, I'm right here."

Severus' head snapped up and he turned slowly toward her. He seemed dazed. Serina gently moved her hand to his arm and guided him to a standing position.

"Apparate with me, we cannot stay here," she said softly.

He only nodded.

Grasping his arm tightly she turned on the spot and they disappeared. In a matter of seconds they had reappeared in front of the new cabin. Severus blinked a couple of times and then looked at Serina intently. He stepped closer to her and traced the line of her face with his finger.

"You are alive!" he whispered.

She smiled at him and in that instant he broke. Throwing his arms around her he squeezed her tightly as great sobs wracked his body.

Between sobs he managed to get out a few words. "I thought I had lost you forever."

"I'm sorry," was all Serina could say, for tears were streaming down her face as well. She should have never put him through such misery; she should have found him first, before implementing her plan.

They stood there for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms, until Severus slowly composed himself. When he drew away from her, he had his walls back up, and the only indication of his rawness was his red eyes.

"I must go," he told her.

"No, I need to talk to you." Serina replied.

"There's nothing more for us to say to one another."

"After that scene, you think there is nothing for us to say to one another?" Serina asked haughtily.

"I know you want to have nothing to do with me."

"Nonsense, Severus. I won't let you leave until we talk. Come on."

She grasped his hand and turned him around. It was then that the new cabin was visible to him. She started toward it with Severus in tow.

"What? Where did this come from?" he asked her in puzzlement.

"I built it a couple of weeks ago."

Looking at her in amazement he reiterated, "You _built_ it?"

She nodded her head. Approaching the door she silently removed the wards and they entered. Replacing the wards as she closed the door, she turned back to Severus. She explained that the house was unplottable and that they were the only two who knew of its location as he looked around with his brows furrowed. Finally he turned to Serina.

"What's going on, Serina? Why did you move all of the old cabins things here? Did you know you were going to be attacked?"

"Severus, there was no attack. I faked my own death."

Severus gaped at her as she grasped his hand and led him to the sofa. She gently pushed him down to sit on it and sat down next to him.

"I'll explain more about that later. There is something more pressing that we need to clear up between the two of us."

Severus looked at her uneasily. She pressed on.

"Why have you not contacted me at all in all of these months?"

She couldn't help the hurt look in her face, even though she knew his motives and understood his reasoning, she still felt hurt at his silence. He avoided her eyes and looked down, but said nothing.

"Did you think we would never meet again, and you wouldn't have to answer for yourself?" she asked.

"I thought I would be dead before then."

Serina nearly threw her arms around him, but instead she just put her hand over his. He seemed shocked that she would even touch him. She decided to drop the questioning and just tell him what she knew.

"Severus, I know about your plan with Dumbledore. I know he told you to kill him and that you are innocent of murder."

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She smiled at that. "I entered your mind and saw for myself."

He withdrew his hand from hers and he looked away. "That's impossible."

"Not for me, not now." She studied him for a minute, and then conceded, "I'm sorry I invaded your privacy. I needed to know where your allegiances were." She looked him up and down nervously. "I needed to know if I could trust you. No matter what you did, however, whether you were a murderer or there was some other explanation, I still loved you."

His head snapped around as he looked at her. "How could you, after all I've done?"

She was filled with sadness. His time among the Death Eaters had turned him bitter and doubtful again, like he had been when she had first started working at Hogwarts. She slid next to him and put her arms around him.

"I found that no matter how horrible your actions were, I could not hate you. You are my husband and we are bound by something that transcends mortal actions. I am yours forever and always."

His hands settled on her waist and he pushed her away from him.

"Serina, I have done horrible things."

"Severus," she sighed, "you have done them to help the cause for good. Didn't you think I would take that into account?"

Searching her eyes Severus found nothing but love in them. He brought her to him and kissed her. Serina never knew a kiss could convey so much. Love, passion, guilt, sorrow, apology, they were all present in his urgent kiss. He finally pulled his lips away from hers and embraced her.

"You are a foolish witch to ever love me," he said emotionally.

"You are the bravest man I have ever known. I would be foolish _not _to love you."

"I never stopped loving you Serina. You are everything to me." Severus whispered.

"I know," Serina whispered back.

He finally pulled away from her and studied her face. "How did you really find out about Dumbledore?"

"I told you; I read your mind," she smiled at him.

"Impossible. If Voldemort can't see my thoughts, you certainly could not. Tell me the truth."

"Okay, we'll do it the hard way then," Serina replied cryptically.

She concentrated and connected with his mind. She sent his memories back to him. Severus pulled away from her in shock.

"How did you do that?" he demanded.

Smiling at him, she replied, "I have been busy these last few months."

She told him everything. She started with Dumbledore's funeral and ended with her decision to put her plan in motion. Occasionally she would show him with her mind some of the things she was capable of. They were just too difficult to describe completely in words. All the while Severus gaped at her.

When she had finished her tale she looked over at Severus and saw a strange look on his face. Something dawned on her then that she had not supposed to think about before. Maybe he was distrustful of her. Maybe her new found powers would be too much for their relationship. Would he be afraid that she would be reading his every thought? Would a wedge be driven between the two of them because of their differences?

"Severus, say something," she finally said.

He only stared at her.

Fear gripped Serina. "Is this going to be an insurmountable problem for us?"

"I…no," was all Severus said.

Serina bit her lip. "I have tried quite hard to remain the same as I was before in personality."

"It's just a lot to take in all at once, Serina. Surely you can understand that."

Serina nodded her head miserably. "Use _Legilimency _on me. You will see that you need not distrust me."

"You would let me do that?"

"You are my husband, Severus; I have no secrets from you."

He looked away guiltily.

"I didn't say that to make you upset," she said quickly, and then added, "and I didn't just read your mind either, I could tell by the look on your face."

Severus smirked a little. "Look at me," he told her.

She stared into his eyes and he chanted,_ "Legilimens" _

She left her mind open to him. She felt him sweeping through her memories and assessing her feelings. Finally he pulled out of her mind and drew her close.

Embracing her in a gentle hug, his only words were, "I'm sorry to have doubted you."

"Then we're okay?" she asked, fearful of the answer.

"More than okay." His lips found hers and kissed her again. He reveled in her closeness. They were finally together again and his fears of dying with Serina not knowing the truth were gone. She was his once again.

Severus pulled away after a while and caressed her cheek. "You saved my life, didn't you?"

She knew he was referring to the time she had healed him when the stone went dark. "Yes, I surprised myself with that one."

"I puzzled about that incident for weeks. Every time I thought about it, though, I felt a great peace within me."

Serina raised an eyebrow. "The next day I saw Lucius. I was glad to find you were recovered, when I swept his mind. Speaking of which, he has been compromised by Voldemort. You must watch what you tell him."

"I already knew that. He is easy to read. That's how I knew you would be at the Three Broomsticks that day."

"Why did you disappear so quickly when I saw you?" she asked him.

"How did you know I was there, anyway?"

"Whenever I'm in public, I sweep the area, looking for danger. I sensed you hiding in the shadows. Why did you go?"

"I saw that you were anxious. I wasn't sure if you would alert anyone to my presence, so I took my leave."

She nodded. They were silent for a while, each looking into the other's eyes.

I don't like your plan," he said finally.

"Why, because it involves me?" Serina retorted.

"Exactly," he replied with a smile. Becoming serious again, he said, "I don't want you hurt."

Serina frowned. "I know the stakes are high, and even with everything I've acquired, no plan is foolproof, but Severus, I must try! If we can end this war before there are major casualties…I cannot sit by and do nothing. Not now."

"You should have been a Gryffindor, my Love."

She smiled at him.

"I must admit," Severus commented after a moment, "the idea of you becoming a Death Eater makes my skin crawl. You will have to let them brand you."

"I know. I've prepared myself for that. Will you stay with me?" She asked him tentatively.

"Always."

* * *

_A/N: Next up: A meeting with Voldemort. I hope you enjoyed their reunion. I know I'm glad they're finally back together. Happy reading and don't forget to review._


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Serina's plan included laying low for about a week before appearing before Voldemort. She wanted to make sure everyone was certain about her death. Severus stayed with her at the cabin and they regained the closeness they had before he had fled the castle. He had been happy that he had not been summoned once during the whole time they were hidden away. Finally the morning of their meeting with Voldemort arrived.

Severus awoke to bright light shining in his eyes. Sun was streaming through the window and had brought him out of sleep. He glanced at the clock. It was seven in the morning. He rolled his eyes. He had wanted to sleep in. Turning, he found Serina had risen already. He got out of bed to find her.

She was staring out the back door, which faced the lake. She seemed deep in thought as he encircled her waist and kissed her neck.

"It's not too late to give up this wretched plan," he told her in a light voice.

She smiled at him as she tilted her head so he could get at her neck better.

"No, I'm ready. There's no turning back now."

"You're nervous," he told her. "I can feel it coming off you in waves. You must compose yourself before you appear before Voldemort."

She turned into him and put her arms around his neck. "You are the only one who can read my moods like that Severus. No one else will sense my apprehension."

He rubbed her abdomen, where the Unicorn's scar still blazed, although it had diminished considerably in the past few months.

"I think your mind reading powers are rubbing off on me."

She looked at him and realized he was right. The realization dawned on her like her past discoveries of her other powers.

"You're right. They are! But it's only a link between the two of us," she answered with certainty.

"How do you know that?" he asked as he nuzzled her cheek.

"When it comes to understanding my powers, I usually have an intuition about new abilities. The intuition is always right."

"So your gifts are blessing us with a closer relationship?" he asked as he moved to nibble her ear.

She giggled as his lips brushed her ear. "It would seem so," she gushed.

"Remind me to thank that Unicorn." His head came slowly around and he claimed her lips. Now that they had realized there was a link between them, it seemed to blossom in intensity. They were both suddenly aware of the other's emotions as they kissed each other hungrily. The feelings only intensified their desire for one another and Severus scooped Serina up and carried her to the bedroom, where they would be free to examine their new connection in detail.

* * *

Severus and Serina entered the room where Voldemort waited. He had his back to them and he stared out the window, waiting for them to approach. Bellatrix Lestrange lounged on the couch in front of him. When she spied Serina, her eyes grew big and hate filled her face.

Serina took this opportunity to enter Voldemort's mind. She marveled at it. Unlike every other mind she had read, his had no stray thoughts outside of his walls. The walls were made of cement covered in diamond. She was unsure if she could penetrate them.

Serina reached her hand out and touched the wall. It was cold to the touch. She could feel the hardness of the diamond under her hand and gently pressed against it. It wouldn't budge. She thought of alternate ways to penetrate the hard stone. She backed up a bit and took on the wall at a run. She slammed into it without even making a depression. She would have laughed to herself if the situation hadn't been so serious.

She needed to concentrate harder. Picturing the diamond in her mind, she thought of its hard consistency. Slowly, in her mind, she turned the diamond to a gel like state. She could see it jiggle slightly in front of her. Slowly, she moved her body forward and passed through the wall. What she saw made her gasp.

His mind was black. It was like the middle of the night. There were torches scattered around so she could make out memories, but all of them were shadowy and hard to see. She got close to one and saw the child Tom Riddle in the orphanage where he grew up. Serina had spoken to Harry Potter about Voldemort before she staged her death and he had told her about the memories that he had visited before Dumbledore had been killed. As interesting as this was, she had not come to see it. She moved on.

As she wandered, she could feel hate emanating at her in waves. Voldemort had no love for anyone. He hated purebloods as much as he hated Muggleborns. She approached a vision of his ultimate goal and grimaced to herself. Voldemort sat in a large throne, his Death Eaters catering to his every whim. He had destroyed all of the Muggle born wizards and the purebloods and other wizards were enslaved and forced to do his bidding. He laughed maniacally as he bent them to his will and made them perform all sorts of horrid acts. They killed Muggles in great raids and were forced to beat each other for punishment when one of them was not a perfect slave. The only ones who were treated somewhat well were his Death Eaters. Even they, however, were beaten at will. Serina quickly turned away from the evil image.

She then saw Voldemort speaking to Bellatrix. He was saying he still did not trust Severus and he was going to put him in charge of a mission that was bound to fail. His desire was for Severus to be killed in the ensuing battle. Serina sent a message to Voldemort that Severus was to be trusted completely and not sent on any dangerous missions. Subconsciously she felt his acceptance of her mind control and smiled to herself.

She saw another plotting session with Bellatrix, this time for the destruction of the Order of the Phoenix. He wanted to know their plans and where he could lure them to obliterate the organization. Bellatrix assured him she would not rest until she had information for him. Intuitively, Serena knew that this conversation had only taken place a couple of days ago, right after her "demise."

She withdrew from Voldemort's mind as she and Severus drew up to his side. She studied him for any sign that he had been aware of her intrusion, but he only looked at her with an evil grin on his face.

"So, Serina Snape, it seems that you are not as dead as you would have everyone think!" he cried, smiling even more evilly.

_This is it_ she thought to herself. "I want to join your Death Eaters, and the easiest way for me to do it, is to have the Order of the Phoenix think I am dead."

Voldemort eyed her curiously. "Why would you all of a sudden change allegiances? I have been trying to get you on my side for years."

Serina laughed greedily. "You had no chance of prevailing before Dumbledore's death. The Order is in chaos now and they will not be able to organize themselves to overcome an attack from you. I always align myself with the winning side."

Voldemort's eyes grew narrow. "You didn't think that I could defeat the Order prior to now?"

"Not with Dumbledore at the head. Of course, my husband has remedied that situation for you, so maybe you too saw the folly of thinking you could defeat him." Serina silently shielded herself and awaited the explosion she knew would come.

"_Crucio!" _he screamed at her and she doubled over, pretending to be enveloped in pain. His curse was short lived and she slowly stood back up and glared at the wizard. She noticed Bellatrix tittering on the couch and wished she could wipe that grin off of her face permanently.

She straightened up and tossed her head, moving her wayward hair from out of her eyes. "I can prove to you my loyalty. I have vital information about the Order."

Voldemort seemed interested. "And what information would that be?"

"As I said, the Order is in tatters. They have no leader, although some of them are trying to lead. Their meetings usually consist of bickering among themselves as to what their next move should be. I grew tired of the lack of leadership and suggested to them that they do something instead of fight amongst themselves. I suggested that we set aside some time for training and we have had several training sessions. Later, I suggested that we use the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts for our training. They eagerly accepted my idea and have set up monthly meetings where they will all be present at Hogwarts."

Voldemort's eyes widened at that statement.

"I know all of the dates for these meetings. That's why I faked my death. So they wouldn't suspect me of turning sides and keep everything as it had been planned. I can deliver the Order and Harry Potter to you in one fell swoop."

Voldemort grinned and she could feel the excitement come off of him. He closed the distance between them and peered into her eyes.

"And what's in it for you?"

"The same thing every girl wants: power and position. I am not one to be a lackey, and that's all I really was with the Order. I am hoping that you will be 'grateful' for my information and perhaps reward me with, say, a position at the Ministry when it becomes yours?" She tilted her head coyly and raised her eyebrows at him provocatively.

"Do not trust her, My Lord," cried Bellatrix, "she is conspiring with her husband against you! She wants revenge for the death of her fiancée."

Serina felt anger wash through her and she pulled herself away from Voldemort's penetrating gaze and flew to Bellatrix's side. Before Bella could even react, Serina had whipped out her wand and held it underneath Bellatrix's neck. She twisted it as she told Bellatrix just what she thought of her assumptions.

"The only one I want revenge on for John's death, my dear Bellatrix, is you. Death Eater or not, if given the chance, I will slay you where you stand!"

Bellatrix's eyes widened in fear. "You see, My Lord, her motives are not pure."

"Of course they're pure," Serina spat. "My only goal is to destroy you!"

"Enough!" snapped Voldemort, although he seemed to be enjoying the cat fight that was brewing before him.

_Serina, control your anger! _Severus thought at her.

_It is just an act, my love. Well, mostly._ She withdrew her wand and rejoined him at his side before Voldemort.

Voldemort glared at her. "Bellatrix has a point. Why would you join us when we destroyed your fiancée in his youth?"

"I told you, I like to be on the winning team. Besides, John is long gone, and I have moved on with my life. Why should I let a little death get in the way of my advancement?" She shot the idea into Voldemort's head so he would believe her.

Serina saw Voldemort's eyes narrow and she felt him enter her mind. She showed him what she wanted him to see. After a minute, he withdrew, seemingly appeased.

"Severus, did you realized Serina was such a power hungry witch when you wed her? I think she rivals dear Bellatrix's ambitions!"

Bellatrix sneered at being compared to Serina.

Severus' eyebrow shot up. "I have learned much about my wife in the past week since we have been united."

Serina stifled a grin.

"Her mind betrays her hunger for power. She will make a fine addition to my Death Eaters." He turned to Serina and said, "Come forward and I shall place the Dark Mark upon you."

Serina hesitated for only a second before moving forward. She could shield herself from the pain, but she was unsure whether she would be able to mimic the real pain without knowing how it would really feel.

Voldemort put out his hand and she placed her wrist in his palm. He placed his wand tip onto her forearm and looked up at her.

"When is the next meeting of the Order at Hogwarts?" he demanded as his wand began to burn the tattoo into her skin.

Serina flinched in pain, but did not draw back. There were hardly any markings on her skin, yet the mark burned as if it was on fire.

"It is on the last day of next month," she cried through clenched teeth.

She gasped as the burning increased ten fold. The mark formed in earnest on her arm, but that wasn't the only spot where she felt pain. A great shock radiated from the spot throughout her body, sending waves of fire through her skin. Her legs gave out on her and she sunk to the floor, never breaking contact with Voldemort's wand or his hand, which held her arm in a vise like grip.

Severus could only stand alongside Serina and watch her as she crumpled to the ground; her face mirroring the pain he knew was shooting through her small frame. He saw her stifle a scream and admired her strength. Finally, Voldemort removed his wand and the Dark Mark was emblazoned on her arm. It burned red for a few seconds and then turned to its natural shade of black. Severus shot forward as Serina swooned and caught her from falling on the ground.

"Take her home so she can recuperate," said Voldemort distastefully.

Severus eased Serina to her feet and turned with her. Slowly they made their way to the door, through the hall, and out of the house. Serina felt as if consciousness was slipping from her and great tears were falling down her face, the only mark that she was in pain. As she stumbled along she looked down at the ugly tattoo that now had a home on her arm and was caught up in remorse.

Before Severus apparated them away, he got a better hold on her and looked into her eyes.

"Oh, Severus, what have I done?" she whispered.

"You were magnificent," he told her before spinning them away.

The apparition was too much for her and she collapsed in his arms as they appeared before the cabin. He scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, setting her on the bed. He lay down beside her and cradled her in his arms as she slowly regained consciousness. Finally, she opened her eyes and grimaced in pain. Raising her arm she studied the Dark Mark. It still burned throughout her whole body. Concentrating, she healed herself, sighing in relief as the pain left.

"I would have thought you were going to shield yourself when he marked you." Severus commented.

"I couldn't. I wasn't sure what to expect and I had to act naturally." She rubbed her arm where the Mark sat. "How long does it usually take to feel better?"

"It took mine three days to stop burning," Severus answered.

"Why does the pain shoot throughout the body? It should only hurt on the arm."

"It's another form of control used by Voldemort. There is some curse hidden within the Mark. When he is displeased with you, the pain will shoot through your body as he summons you."

Serina raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "He's always full of surprises, isn't he?"

Severus nodded. "Serina, I'm concerned about your reaction to Bellatrix."

"Oh, that was nothing but pent up rage," she countered as she rose and went over to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and ran a brush through her hair.

"I have found," Severus continued as he rose from the bed and went over to her, "that when I have been absorbed in anger, my control suffers severely. You need to be careful."

Serina looked at him in the mirror as he stood behind her. Sighing, she relented, "You're right. I'll have to be more careful in the future. It's just that I have hated her for so long and have wished to get revenge on her for what she did to John. I guess now is not the time, though."

She leaned back into him and watched him some more in the mirror. He seemed to be worried about something.

"Is something bothering you, my love?"

Severus looked back at her through the mirror and put an arm around her. He continued to look worried but passed it off as nothing. Serina turned and placed her arms around his neck.

"Severus, what is it? You look disturbed about something."

Severus avoided her eyes and again told her it was nothing. Serina took his hand and led him back to the bed. They both sat on the edge and she looked at him searchingly.

"Please talk to me," she begged.

"It is foolishness."

"If you are bothered by something, then it isn't foolishness to me," Serina told him.

He searched her face and found only concern there. Finally he asked her, "Have you ever wished that John was still alive and you were with him instead of me?"

Shock registered in Serina's face. "No, never! Not even when I thought you had murdered Dumbledore did I ever wish that!"

Serina took Severus' hand in hers. She looked down at it for a bit and then back up into his face.

"When John first died, that's all I wished for, that he were still here and that we were still together. I spent over a year wishing that he was still alive. I fell into a deep depression and literally did nothing. My family worried endlessly over me, but I just isolated myself and wished he were still with me. I would go to the Shrieking Shack and spend hours there, crying and feeling sorry for myself. My Mother tried to convince me to go to University, but I would have none of it." Serina studied her hand clasped around her husband's.

"Finally, I could deal with reality no more. I decided to take my life and join John, wherever he was. I apparated to the Shrieking Shack and had a vial of the Elixir of Death poised at my mouth when the dream I had been having repeatedly came into my mind. I had previously thought it was about John, like I told you before, but in an instant, I understood what it really stood for."

"In that moment, I realized that I had a future. I realized that although my plans with John had been ripped apart, I could eventually find happiness. I knew that dream had been sent to me to save me. Unbeknownst to the both of us, that day you saved my life."

She squeezed Severus' hand a little harder and looked into his eyes. "There is something between us, Severus, which defies logic. There is a bond. A bond I never had with John. A bond that I think very few couples have with one another. I love you for who you are, Severus Snape, not because I lost love before and am looking for a substitution. Please do not think so lowly of yourself to believe that."

Severus looked down at their hands clasped together and then back up into her eyes. He gently placed his hand on her face. "I told you it was foolish," he whispered emotionally.

"And I told you that nothing you are concerned about is foolishness," she responded in a whisper.

"Serina, you are my light."

Severus was cut off by her lips on his. The love that she felt for him flowed through that kiss and it washed over him. They surrounded each other in an embrace and felt a tidal wave of emotion engulf them. The bond they had with one another from her magic intensified the feeling until they thought that they could stand it no more. In that moment, Severus knew, once again, of Serina's great love for him and he would never concern himself again about her past.

They were consumed with one another when they both flinched. Their Dark Marks had burned. Serina stared down at the new sensation coming from the Mark.

"Why does he want us so soon? I thought you said he would let me heal before summoning me!" Serina said in distress.

"He usually does. I don't know why he has summoned us." Severus replied. He grasped Serina's upper arm tightly. "You will have to pretend that you are still in excruciating pain. The Dark Lord must not suspect that you have the ability to heal yourself."

Serina nodded her head. "I understand." She was filled with apprehension, but she put on a brave smile for Severus. "I can do this."

He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "I know you can. Try to not be too nervous, my dear, Voldemort might know."

Serina stood and beckoned Severus to do likewise. "Hopefully you are the only one who can read me so well, my love."

Exiting the cabin together, they held hands and apparated back to the Manor they had just left barely an hour ago.

* * *

_A/N: Up next: Voldemort's plan and a chat with Harry. A special thanks to my two loyal reviewers, Mark Darcy and Drunkonmusic Gals. I appreciate your input. I would love more input from those of you who are continuing to read this. I do appreciate you reading it whether you review or not. Happy reading!_


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Voldemort hadn't moved much since they had left him. He was now seated in an arm chair behind a large desk. He looked like a crazed executive leading a board meeting, his hands clasped together and his index fingers forming a point.

"Serina," he hissed. "I hope you have gotten a hold on your pain."

Serina gave a small grimace and pretended to bite back a moan. She gave a beautiful performance of a woman who was about to curl up in agony, but was too strong willed to let Voldemort see her writhe again.

Voldemort gave her a glib smile. "I have come up with a plan to storm Hogwarts and take control of the school. The date you gave me works well. Halloween is the day I lost my body all those years ago. Now it will be the day I take control of the Wizarding world!"

Serina quickly entered Voldemort's mind, burst through his walls, and reviewed the plan. It consisted of a first strike of a small group of Death Eaters entering Hogwarts and abducting Harry Potter. He would be brought to Voldemort and killed, and then the rest of the Death Eaters would storm the Room of Requirement and destroy the Order. He would use Serina to gain entry to the Room as the Order thought she was dead and would not have set up any protection against her entry. Serina placed the thought in his mind to send Severus alone to get Potter, that way it would be easier for him to sneak in and out without being detected. She withdrew and waited for Voldemort to speak.

He outlined the plan to them, including the change that Serina had made. They both nodded their understanding and approval of the plan.

"I will be coordinating everything from the Shrieking Shack," Voldemort continued. Serina, you will wait with me there until Severus brings the Potter brat, then you will head up the Death Eater advance on the Order."

Serina nodded again.

"In one fell swoop, I will have all of my enemies under my feet. There will be none to stop me from taking over the Ministry."

Serina smiled greedily at him.

"Oh yes, I haven't forgotten your request, Serina. You will be appointed Head of the Ministry. I have no desire to sit in that office. I am perfectly able to control my world from here. As a reward for your loyalty, you shall run the Ministry."

Serina's eyes widened and she bowed her head. "Thank you, My Lord! I shall not disappoint you."

"Very few people do, Serina, and when they do, they don't live long to regret it!"

Serina saw malice and warning in his eyes.

"I shall serve you faithfully, My Lord," she replied, covering up the fear that had gripped her with his stare.

_I don't trust her_, Voldemort thought to himself. He really didn't trust anybody. He did, however, trust what he could glean from his follower's minds. He reached out to hers and read it. She was gloating within, thinking of her new position. She was truly a greedy witch. He laughed and turned to Severus' mind. He had many questions about Severus' loyalty, but whenever he penetrated his defenses, he found no duplicity. Once again, Severus' loyalty was portrayed in his thoughts. He would be suitable as the operative to abduct Harry Potter and bring him to his side. He laughed louder. He turned back to Serina.

"Your greed will keep you loyal to me, but you need to know that you are my property now. There will be no seeking higher advancement with another master." Looking at Severus he continued, "And you Severus, I must always remind you where your loyalties lie, so you will always be useful to me."

Serina saw his intentions and placed her shield around both she and Severus. She mentally told Severus to act like the torture was affecting him seconds before Voldemort sent the _Cruciatus _on both of them.

Severus was amazed that he felt no pain. He doubled over anyway and made a good show of being wracked with agony. Voldemort continued his torture and they both finally feigned unconsciousness. Voldemort withdrew his wand and made a little noise, as if he was sad that his toys were now broken. He gracefully stepped over their bodies and left the room.

Serina swept the room before opening her eyes. Finding them alone she called to Severus that it was okay for him to get up. He sat up and gave her a smile. She threw some wards up with her mind so they could speak privately.

"How long do we have to stay in here, do you think?" she asked him.

"We should wait at least fifteen minutes. I don't believe anyone will check on us, but it would be wise to wait." Severus answered.

She scooted over and sat next to him. They both leaned against a couch.

"Why does he torture us when we have brought him a way to win?"

"It's another form of control. Fear is a great motivator. He also gets some form of sick kick by seeing me writhe in particular. He tends to punish me more than any of his other Death Eaters." Severus explained.

"I will never let him hurt you again, my love." Serina whispered.

Severus nodded; his thoughts far away. Serina touched his shoulder and he snapped back to the present.

"Where did you go?" she asked him.

He smiled at her. "I was just thinking how I could have used your help these past few years. That was the most enjoyable _Cruciatus _curse I think I've ever experienced."

Serina laughed at the thought of a _Cruciatus _curse being enjoyable in any way.

"So, how do we continue with your plan?" Severus asked.

Serina thought for a minute. "We need to alert the Order of the attack. I had Voldemort change his plan and have you go alone to get to Harry instead of with a group. I think that will be easier to pull off than having a bunch of Death Eaters storming the castle." Serina hesitated. "Wards or no on this room, we probably should wait to discuss anything more about this."

Severus nodded. "Do you sense anyone in the vicinity?" he asked her.

Serina swept the entire Manor. "They are mostly upstairs. Lucius is in the library, but that is far enough away that he won't notice anything if we leave now."

"Let's go then. I don't think anyone will miss us."

Severus stood and held out his hand to help Serina up. She bounced into a standing position and they left the Manor, undoing the wards with their departure. They apparated back to the cabin.

Settling herself on the recliner she watched Severus as he entered the kitchen. In a minute he came back with a drink for each of them. Serina sipped her pumpkin juice quietly as Severus took a seat in another recliner next to her.

Serina looked at Severus seriously. "Are you comfortable with divulging your spy work to the Order?" she asked him.

Severus thought about that for a minute.

"How many are to be in the know?"

"Remus, Moody, and Harry Potter. I'm not sure if more will need to know."

"The more people who know about me, the weaker my position is and the more likely the truth will come out. I think having Potter know is a grave mistake."

"I understand what you're saying. I know he is an open book, but when he is brought to Voldemort, I will be there and will be able to shield his thoughts from being discovered."

Severus contemplated some more. "I don't think that anyone in the Order will be in danger of being abducted before the Dark Lord puts his plan in motion. Perhaps it is prudent to reveal my true allegiances to them at this time."

"Okay, here's my plan. I have connected with Harry's mind previously and spoken with him. I did not divulge who I was, because I too am cautious of his lack of Occlumency skills. But I can reestablish that link with him and explain Voldemort's plan. I will tell him about your spy work and he will explain everything to the Order. If I need to contact another member of the Order to confirm his story I will, but at this point, I only plan on talking to Potter. They will be ready for you and Harry will hopefully go willingly with you to Voldemort. Together we will help Harry kill Voldemort and the Order will make a sneak attack on the Death Eaters before they even approach Hogwarts. When Voldemort is dead, we can join the Order and finish off the remaining Death Eaters."

Severus nodded at her plan, deep in thought. After a while he finally spoke.

"Are you going to tell Harry who you are?"

"I think I will keep that a secret for a while longer."

"How close do you need to be to Potter to make contact with him?" Severus asked.

"I'm not really sure. I've never tried to contact anyone unless I was in the same room with them."

Severus stood. "Shall we do a little experiment then?"

Serina smiled. "Let's do that. You apparate somewhere and I'll try to contact you. Give me five minutes. If you can't hear me, come back."

Severus gave her a raised eyebrow as he turned and left the cabin. She heard a pop from outside and tried to make contact with him.

_Severus, where are you?_ she asked.

_I am across the lake, at the old cabin site._

Serina smiled to herself. _Great! Go farther away._

She waited a minute and then reached out her mind to him.

_Where are you now?_

_London._

Serina's heart leapt within her. _It works! Come back._

She heard another pop and soon Severus was entering the cabin again. He had a large grin on his face.

"You are truly remarkable," he told her.

She smiled at him as he stooped and placed a kiss on her forehead. He went back to his chair and eased himself into it.

"You may as well contact Potter now. If he is busy, you can arrange another time to discuss everything."

Serina nodded. "Forgive me if I space out for a while."

Severus smiled at her. Serina concentrated and got a faraway look in her eye.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room with Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. He and Ron were pleading with Hermione to help them with their Transfiguration essay. Harry opened his mouth to give Hermione another great reason why she should write this particular essay for him, when he heard a voice in his head.

_Harry Potter? Do you remember me? I must speak with you. Is this a good time?_

Harry looked confused for a minute and Hermione stared at him while she waited for whatever it was that he had intended to say to her. She was distracted from him by a plea from Ron and she turned her head to face him.

_I do remember you, _Harry responded in his head. _What do you want?_

_I have news of Voldemort. Can you speak with me now?_

Harry glanced at his friends and told them that he had left something in his room and got up. He went up to his room and got on his bed, putting wards around so he could speak with the voice in his head. Granted the conversation would be silent, but he didn't want to be disturbed.

_I can talk now, _Harry told the voice.

_Harry, I have much news for you. I have been able to infiltrate Voldemort's army. He is planning an attack that I think we can take advantage of._

_Who are you? How do I know that I can trust you?_ Harry demanded.

_I would rather not tell you who I am. It may compromise my position here. As for trusting me, you must figure that out for yourself. I assure you that I am on your side and have come up with a way for you to defeat Voldemort._

_Say what you have to say, I will make my own judgment, _Harry thought guardedly.

_Voldemort has found out that the Order plans to meet at Hogwarts for a training session on Halloween. He plans to have you abducted and killed, and then send his Death Eaters to destroy the Order members once and for all, _Serina thought to him.

_How is this a way to destroy Voldemort?_

_I will be there when you are brought to Voldemort. I have powers that can protect you from his curses and give you an advantage over him. You will be able to kill him. You can alert the Order of the attack and they can ambush the Death Eaters before they even get near Hogwarts. Have you destroyed all of the Horcruxes?_

_How do you know about the Horcruxes?_

_Harry, you can see that I can enter your mind and speak with you. I can also enter a mind and see what it holds. _Serina explained.

_Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense. I have destroyed all of them except for Nagini._

_I will take care of Nagini, _Serina told him.

_How will I get to Voldemort? _Harry asked.

_That's where Severus comes in._

_Snape! I will not let that traitor anywhere near me!_

_Harry, calm down! Professor Snape is not the traitor that you think he is. He has gone underground with his spy work against Voldemort. He has been sneaking information to the Order since Dumbledore's death._

_He killed Dumbledore! He's a murderer. Surely you know that! How can you trust him?_

Serina could feel the anger coming from Harry in waves.

_I can read minds, remember? Occlumency is ineffective against my mind reading powers. I have read Professor Snape's mind and have found out the truth. When Dumbledore put the Gaunt's ring on his finger it sent a killing curse through his body. Severus tried to cure him but it was useless. He was only able to stall the progression of the curse. Dumbledore would have died anyway. Voldemort had ordered Draco Malfoy to kill Dumbledore and Dumbledore was aware of it. He told Severus to kill him so that Draco would not destroy himself through murdering someone. Yes, Professor Snape killed Dumbledore, but he is no murderer._

_I'm not sure whether to believe you or not. _

_If you would like, I will share Professor Snape's memories with you, but you must tell no one that I have done this._

_Go ahead, I will tell no one._

Harry was amazed to see Snape's memories flood through his mind. He could tell that they were truly Snape's memories and was amazed at his cunning.

_Okay, I believe you,_ Harry said after the memories stopped.

_Please, do not even tell Severus that I have shared this with you. He knows that I am telling you of his spy work and about Dumbledore, but he would be angry with me for betraying his trust with his memories. Besides, I should be the one to tell him, if I decide to do so._

Harry smiled. _Your secret is safe with me. I know how angry Snape can get. So what do we do now?_

_You must alert the Order. Tell only Lupin and Moody of Severus' spy work. The rest may know of anything else. On Halloween night, wait for Severus with Lupin or Moody at the Hogwarts gates. He will come and escort you to Voldemort. Between the three of us, we should be able to keep his powers from destroying you, giving you the chance to destroy him. When I know where the Death Eaters will be hiding, I will let you know. The Order can ambush them while we take care of Voldemort._

_I will do that. Would it be alright if I told Hermione and Ron about all of this?_

_I suppose there's no keeping you from doing so. Alright, but they must keep the secret with everyone else, is that understood?_

_Of course, _Harry acquiesced._ When will you tell me who you are?_

_You will find out when you meet Voldemort. For now, good luck._

_Thank you, _Harry said as he felt the link between them disappear.

He hurried down to the Common Room and floo'd Remus. He explained that he needed to talk to him privately and they arranged a meeting in the morning. Hermione and Ron were watching him curiously as he stood from the fireplace. He had much to explain to them, but it couldn't be done here.

oooOOOooo

Serina came back to the cabin and saw Severus raise an eyebrow at her.

"Does he believe you?"

"Yes, he will alert the Order and go with you when you go to get him. I told him to only tell Lupin and Moody about you, oh and of course, his little entourage."

"He took you at your word about everything?"

She nodded.

"He believed you about me?"

She nodded again.

"Just from your word," Severus demanded.

She had to tell him. She bit her lip.

"Not right at first," she said. "I had to show him your memories."

"What!"

"I'm sorry; it was the only way he would believe me. I made him promise not to tell anyone."

"Serina, you have violated my trust. Of all the people to show those memories to, you had to do it to Potter!" he spat.

"I swear I didn't show him anything but what would corroborate what I told him. I just showed him you planning with Dumbledore. That's it!"

"You crossed the line when you showed him anything! What if Voldemort finds out? I will be killed! You do realize that you don't have all the answers to everything just because you have some unusual powers. It was not your place to show him anything without asking me first! You had no right, Serina, no right at all!" Severus stood and stormed out of the room, slamming the bedroom door behind him as he vanished into it.

Serina watched him leave. He was so stubborn sometimes. Couldn't he see that she had to show Harry those memories? Now he wouldn't talk to her for the rest of the day, probably. Well, now was as good a time as any to go see Lucius. She was unsure whether he knew of her sudden rise from the dead, and even if he did, she would need to explain things to him herself. She got up and left the cabin.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Malfoy manor for the third time in a day. Thanks for reading and reviewing. So, do you think Severus had a right to be angry, or was Serina right in thinking that he overreacted? If you leave a review, I'll tell you what I think. Have a great day and enjoy the chapter._


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Serina found herself again in front of Malfoy Manor. She searched it with her mind and found Lucius still in the library, where he had been when she and Severus had left before. Explaining to the butler why she was there, she soon found herself entering the library. Lucius was sitting in a comfortable easy chair, reading. He glanced up when the door opened and dropped his book in amazement. He got up and raced over to Serina and hugged her fiercely. She threw her arms around him.

"Thank Merlin you're alright," Lucius muttered.

"Oh Lucius, I'm so sorry I worried you! You can't know how hard it was for me to stay underground without a word to anyone."

Lucius extricated himself from her arms and led her over to a small circular reading table with two comfortable arm chairs on either end of it. He motioned for her to have a seat and then sat across from her.

"Bella said you have miraculously risen from the dead to join our cause."

Serina frowned at the use of Bellatrix's nickname. "Yes, she is right." Serina gently lifted her sleeve, displaying her Dark Mark.

Lucius took her arm gently and examined the Mark. Serina pretended to wince in pain. "Of all the people to receive the Dark Lord's mark, you are the last one I would have expected it from."

She smiled at him. "Times change, Lucius, I need to be on the winning side."

Lucius studied her curiously. "You have never been one to align yourself with the winning side. You always choose the underdog and fight for them furiously."

Serina was uncomfortable. She hated lying to Lucius, but she knew her secret was not safe with him because he could be so easily read. The only problem was that Lucius knew her too well to just blindly accept her defection from the light. She might be forced to bend his view for him if he didn't take her at face value, but the thought of that made her skin crawl. It was one thing to make Voldemort believe certain things, but this was her beloved cousin. She would never do anything to hurt him in any way. She looked down.

"Lucius, the Order is falling apart. They were the only thing standing between Voldemort and victory. The thought of being a slave in his world was repulsive to me. Maybe, on this side, I can convince the Dark Lord to be a little nicer with his ruling power."

"If you think you can influence the Dark Lord to do anything he doesn't want to, you're delusional, Serina."

She nodded, acknowledging the foolhardiness of her statement. "I think you're right, but that's not the only reason I defected. I have asked Voldemort to give me a position in the Ministry and he has promised to make me the Minister of Magic when he has attained control."

Lucius gave a low whistle. "That's quite a gift! He must value whatever secrets you have given him."

"If all goes as planned, he will take over Hogwarts and destroy the Order and Harry Potter by Halloween with the information I have given to him."

Lucius looked dumbfounded. "That will certainly speed up his plans for takeover!"

Serina only nodded.

"Serina, you have never had delusions of grandeur. Why do you want the Ministry position?"

"I just want to make a difference, Lucius."

"You have never wanted to make a difference in this way. I find it hard to believe that you would want this position. What's really going on, Serina?"

She looked at Lucius sadly. He was not falling for her ploy, just as she had suspected he would not. She would have to plant the suggestion into his head. She concentrated on him and told him what to think.

Lucius smiled at her. "I think it's wonderful that you have finally joined us Serina. You will make a great asset and a wonderful Minister of Magic when the time comes. You will finally have the position you have been seeking all of these years."

That had been all too easy and Serina felt her insides tighten at the lie she had embedded in her cousin's mind.

Grasping Lucius' hand, she said, "I must go. I just came to see how you were and make sure you weren't worried about me." She stood and kissed his forehead. He smiled at her as she turned and left the room. She left the Manor silently and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Serina eyed the cabin after she appeared in front of it. She was in no mood to confront Severus now; she was too upset with her actions. She walked past the small house and headed for the lake shore. She had built a small dock close to where the cabin property met the lake. She went over to it and sat down on the edge of it. Taking off her shoes, she let her feet slip into the water and sloshed them around a bit. The water was cold on them, but she welcomed the shock to her system. She let her feet remain in the water, swishing from side to side as she looked out over the lake.

She could see where the old cabin had stood. This new location was actually an improvement for the view was breathtaking. There were some mountains surrounding the lake and their reflection was on the lake's surface, leaving a beautiful double view of their majestic height. The beauty enveloped her for a moment, but soon her sour mood returned and she fell into a melancholy depression.

She was very grateful for the powers that the Unicorn had given her, but it was times like this that she could only envision her actions as evil. She had used Lucius like a doll, manipulating his thoughts to serve her own devices. Granted if she had not, both she and Severus could lose their lives, but bending Lucius' mind like that made her feel dirty. In fact, this whole plan, she realized, made her feel that way. She hated duplicity and she had now become the queen of it. She had lied to everyone about her death. All of her friends still thought she was dead. She was driving actions with her mind that should never really be tampered with. One wrong move and she could get herself and her beloved husband killed. Hopefully she had not overestimated herself. If this plan didn't succeed it would mean more than just Severus' and her death. She would have single handedly given Voldemort his victory.

She shuddered at the thought. That could never happen. She must make sure that the plan went off without a hitch and Voldemort was destroyed. It would be such a relief when he was dead. She shuddered again and then felt something drape around her shoulders. Looking behind her, she saw Severus had placed a cape over her and he was now moving to sit beside her on the dock. He, however, did not dunk his feet into the water.

"You'll catch a chill sitting out here with your feet in that freezing water, Serina," he told her frankly.

Serina looked down. She was rather ashamed to look Severus in the face after her actions earlier. Even her callousness in that situation made her feel dirty. She had taken it upon herself to decide what was right, without even asking his opinion. Who did she think she was? She didn't have all the answers.

"Severus, I'm really sorry I abused your trust. I should have asked you before sharing those memories. It was incredibly thoughtless."

Severus watched her for a while without saying anything. He had been expecting her to argue the point with him, but he hadn't even said anything and she was apologizing.

"I forgive you," he said finally, "and I am sorry I made so much of it. You seemed to be somewhat discreet in what you showed to Potter."

She nodded with her head bent low, still not looking at him. As he continued to look at her, he saw a teardrop fall into her lap. Reaching out, he pulled her to him.

"There's no need to cry, you foolish woman, it was just a disagreement."

She said nothing, but continued to cry silently into his shirt. Severus kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arm.

"I said I was sorry," he continued.

He got a small laugh out of her with that comment. She straightened up, wiped away her tears, and stared out over the lake.

"I just came back from visiting Lucius."

"That's another thing. You pop off somewhere and don't even leave a note. For all I knew, you could have been attacked and I would have never known a thing."

She smiled. "Well, we weren't really on speaking terms, and you usually hole yourself up in a room for hours when you're mad, and I wasn't expecting to be gone very long."

"Nonetheless, that's very inconsiderate," he replied, only half-joking. More seriously he said, "Really, Serina, you shouldn't have gone off by yourself without telling me. I was worried."

"I had to see him so he would know I was alright. Severus, I feel terrible. I had to make him believe my story with mind control."

Severus was quiet for a minute. "You did what you had to do, Serina. Don't feel badly about it."

"I know, but it still makes me feel dirty to do it to my own cousin. All this lying makes my skin crawl."

"Don't berate yourself. You will be able to explain everything to everyone once this is all over."

She turned and looked at him. "How do you do all of this without losing your mind, Severus? It's only been a little over a week for me and I'm going insane, how do you not fall into self loathing?"

"Sometimes I do fall into self loathing. After I killed Dumbledore and had to hide from you, I spent quite a while feeling worthless and, as you put it so aptly, dirty. Not having anyone, especially my wife, know the truth about me was very upsetting. There were times when I contemplated contacting you and telling you everything, just so I would have a confidant, but I knew that if I did, I would be endangering your life, so I kept quiet."

"But you were just doing what you had to do. Surely you knew we would all understand eventually."

"No, I didn't actually. I still don't. No matter what the motive, I killed Dumbledore, and some people will never get over that fact. I will reap the consequences of my actions, I am sure. And what if I killed him and everything falls apart anyway. What if the Dark Lord wins in the end? Everything I have done will be for nothing. Are you having some of those thoughts go through your mind right now?"

She smiled ruefully and nodded.

"You must shun those feelings, they are destructive. When I find myself thinking that way, I must look towards my goal. If anything that I do can get us closer to Voldemort's demise, than I must do it, no matter how horrible it may seem to me."

"How do you not berate yourself for your actions?" Serina asked.

Severus thought a while before answering. "I bury myself in what I am to do. I have not the time for luxuries such as pity or self loathing. I only entertain those thoughts momentarily, for I know if I dwell on them, they will destroy me, as they are trying to destroy you."

"I don't know if I can do that, Severus." She looked at him hopelessly.

"Serina, you must. The things we are involved in are ugly at best. You must separate yourself from your task or your task will destroy you in the end."

Serina thought about that for a while and finally nodded. "I see what you mean. I just don't like the person I have become."

"You won't always have to be like this, my love. The person you are inside will never change, even if you are forced to do things you despise."

Serina nodded again. Severus stood and put out his hand. She took it and stood herself, her shoes in one hand. He put his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead.

"Come on, let's go inside. I have just the thing to get your mind off of all of this worry," Severus said with a spark in his eye.

"Oh really?" Serina said, raising her eyebrows. "It wouldn't have to do with a hot tub, would it?"

"We have a hut tub?" he quipped.

"Yes, you're in it every night, remember?"

"Oh yes, _that_ hot tub," he answered, smiling devilishly.

Severus pulled Serina close and they walked arm in arm back to the cabin and the awaiting hot tub.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Will Remus and the Order believe Harry? Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Have a great weekend._


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Harry sat across from Remus as they stared eye to eye. They were in Headmaster McGonagall's office. She had graciously let them use it when Harry had explained he had serious Order business to discuss with Remus that could be overheard by no one. Hermione and Ron leaned against McGonagall's desk with their arms folded listening attentively to the argument that was unfolding before them.

"How can you trust the voice of a woman you don't even know?" Remus cried.

"I don't know! I just do. I can feel that she is on our side!" Harry exclaimed in frustration.

"Well, that's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" Remus snorted.

"I know it sounds stupid, but she showed me something that I know to be real. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about what she showed me, but the thing was so private, that I know she wouldn't have shared it except to convince me of the truth."

Remus narrowed his eyes at Harry. At that moment, Ron decided to interject.

"Bugger, Harry. You must know how this seems! For all you know, you could have had a dream or something."

Harry turned and glared at Ron. "This was no dream, Ron. Besides, I've spoken with her before."

Three sets of eyebrows shot up at that statement. Turning back to Remus, Harry went on.

"It was on the first day of school. She was here at Hogwarts. She spoke to me then. She said that she had just developed the ability to talk to people in their heads and knew that I could keep a secret, so she decided to speak with me. She told me she was on my side too, and was trying to help destroy Voldemort. She intended to use her powers against him, and now she's found a way to do it."

"Why didn't you speak of this before now, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Glancing at her he replied, "She asked me to keep it a secret. She didn't want Voldemort to find out. She was afraid he might abduct her and use her against us."

They all nodded in agreement with her assumption. Voldemort would stop at nothing to attain someone with such powers.

Hermione looked over at Harry and said, "How do you know she hasn't been taken and is being used by Voldemort right now?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "The thing she shared with me, if she were under Voldemort's influence, she wouldn't have shared it. I'm sorry, I can't go into more detail about it, but I think that secret proves also that she's not under Voldemort's control. I know it sounds stupid, but I believe everything she has said. She is on our side and this plan can not only destroy Voldemort, but take out a number of his Death Eaters as well."

"How will you be able to kill Voldemort?" Remus asked.

"She says she has other powers. She can protect me somehow, so that Voldemort's curses cannot do me any harm. It will be like I'm invincible."

"Harry, no one is invincible," Remus warned. "Even if this is true of this woman, you must stay alert. Voldemort is not the most feared wizard of all time because he is easy to beat in a fight, although you have seemed to do that once or twice in your lifetime."

"I will be careful. I know that even with such an advantage, I will be lucky to be able to slay him. But we won't get another chance like this for a very long time. Besides, she said he is already planning the attack. We either prepare ourselves, or we'll be destroyed."

Remus stared into Harry's eyes, trying to discern whether his belief in the woman was founded in truth. Finally he nodded.

"I will alert the Order." He rose and was about to go.

"One more thing," Harry said. "You must tell no one other than Moody of Snape's work in this. You and Moody will wait with me for him. She has assured me he will not harm me. He is on our side."

Remus snorted. "We'll see about that!"

Hermione's eyes lit up for a second. "Actually, there is a way we can find out if that part is true." She turned to the painting of Dumbledore, which was now snoozing behind McGonagall's desk.

"Professor Dumbledore," she called.

"Ahem, ahem, did you call me?" Dumbledore's portrait asked.

"I am sure you have heard everything that has gone on, Professor, is it true that you planned your death with Professor Snape?" she asked.

"Oh, quite true!" he agreed with a nod of his head.

Remus' eyes bulged out. "Why haven't you spoken of this to anyone before now?"

"Well, my dear boy, no one has thought to ask. You are all so quick to think the worst of poor Severus that you all just assumed him guilty of a heinous crime. Everything that Harry has explained to you is true."

"What are your thoughts on this woman?" Remus asked.

"It's hard to say, but if she was willing to divulge Severus to you, than she would seem to be on our side, would she not?" Dumbledore stated.

They had to admit, it was a good argument. Remus nodded finally.

"I will keep Snape's secret from everyone but Moody. I will be in touch as soon as I know more." Remus turned and gave Harry a hug. "Take care of yourself, Harry. Prepare yourself well. The showdown seems to be coming up much faster than we had originally planned."

"That's good, isn't it?" Ron asked.

"Yes," answered Remus, "but we must still be vigilant in our preparations. We must all make sure we are prepared when the time comes."

Nodding to Hermione and Ron, Remus turned and left. Harry gazed at his two friends. He had decided to let them hear the whole story with Remus instead of taking the chance of being overheard telling them of it somewhere else in the castle.

"So, what do you two think?" he asked them.

Hermione looked at Harry skeptically. "I think you shouldn't be so trusting, Harry Potter. This whole thing could be a trap. What if you go with Snape only to find that there is no woman on our side, but only some hag who has led you astray?"

Harry laughed at the site of some stooped over hag hovering next to Voldemort cackling wildly.

"It's not funny. This is your life we're talking about." This intellectual observation had come from Ron.

Harry shook his head. "You must think I'm crazy, but I believe her. It's like when I knew that your Dad was hurt, Ron. I just knew it was true."

"Yes, but Voldemort was able to trick you about Sirius, though, wasn't he?" Hermione countered.

"That was different." Harry yelled. Letting his feelings about losing Sirius overcome his calm.

"Oi, no need to yell, mate," cried Ron. "We're on your side here you know!"

Harry looked duly chastised. "I know. I'm sorry. I just wish I could convince you that this woman is sincere. I know that she is trustworthy and Dumbledore believes her. He's a great judge of character."

"We trust you Harry. Just be careful, okay," pleaded Hermione. "This plan could kill you and destroy any chance we have of defeating Voldemort."

"I will be careful." Harry became thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we should reinstate the DA. We could all use a little extra training. No one needs to know exactly why until the time comes."

"That's a great idea, Harry. We'll set up a meeting here for tomorrow night. It will be great to be all together again, practicing to fight." Hermione smiled at Harry.

The three friends turned and left the office, not noticing the portrait of Dumbledore smiling after them.

* * *

Two days later, the trio was again in the Headmaster's office. Professor McGonagall was seated at her desk speaking to the three about the emergency Order meeting that had been called just the night before.

"Remus thought that showing up at Hogwarts so often might be cause for suspicion among the Death Eater's so he asked me to work with you on the planning aspects of all of this," Minerva explained to the three.

"We've started up DA meetings again. We can use all the help we can get on Halloween," Harry said.

"That's a good idea." Minerva said. "Maybe we can have a joint meeting with the Order and the DA before that night. We can plan and have a training session."

The trio nodded enthusiastically in unison.

"We weren't going to tell them the true reason for the practices until much closer to the attack. Do you think we should tell them sooner, Professor?" Hermione asked.

Minerva thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, you should tell them as quickly as possible. If they know that they are training for a real battle, they will be even more focused on improving their abilities."

"We'll let them in on the whole thing at the next meeting," said Ron.

"Alright," Minerva agreed. "Harry, can you make contact with this woman?"

"I'm not sure. I never tried before."

"Well, find out. If you can, tell her what we're planning. If not, we'll just have to wait until Halloween for everything to unfold. Be cautious in your communication with her. We are still not convinced that she is on our side."

Harry nodded. "I will only tell her that we are preparing for the attack."

"Good. You may go. I'll let you know of any further developments as they come along."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry told her and the three of them turned to leave.

A few minutes later, they entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry went straight to his room while the other two sat down and waited for his return.

Harry went to his bed and drew the curtains. He cast a _Muffliato_ charm to ensure his privacy and then thought hard. He didn't even know what to call the woman. Oh well, he could only try.

_Hey you?_

Nothing.

_Hey, lady. The one who talks in my head. This is Harry Potter._

He laughed to himself at how silly he sounded. He still didn't hear a response in his head. He thought about his other conversations with her. The last one seemed to come from far away. Maybe if he concentrated his thoughts somewhere outside of the castle. That would be difficult not even knowing where to direct his thoughts. He tried again.

_Excuse me, lady? Can I talk to you?_

Nothing.

_Lady who talks in my head, I need to speak with you!_

_Harry? How did you do that?_ a shocked Serina asked.

_I don't know; I just concentrated really hard. It took a few tries._

_Wow! What did you need?_

_I wanted to tell you that the Order has been advised about what you have told me and they are preparing to fight according to your plan._

_They believed you then? _Serina asked.

_Well, they trust me. I'm not sure whether they trust you though. Is there anything else you can tell us to gain our confidence?_

_I would think that my revelation about Severus Snape would have been sufficient. _Serina thought haughtily.

Harry smiled._ We actually corroborated that with Dumbledore's portrait. I think that really went a long way in their believing you._

_What about you? Do you believe me?_

_I do. _Harry thought quickly.

_Why?_

_Something tells me that you are trustworthy. I can't explain it otherwise._

_Thank you, Harry. That really means a lot to me._

_No problem._

_Is there anything else you want me to know?_

Harry thought for a moment. _Well, if I need to talk to you again, what should I call you? Can't you tell me who you are?_

_I would rather keep that a secret until Halloween. I am deeply entrenched within the Death Eaters and cannot have myself compromised. You can call me Bond. You know, like James Bond, the fictional Muggle spy?_

_So you grew up around Muggles, then?_

_Oh, maybe I've said too much! It's too late now, I guess. Yes, I did grow up around Muggles, as I know you have._

_I'll just call you Double O'seven. _Harry quipped. He could hear her laugh in his head.

_Oh I like that even better. Double O'seven it is. _She laughed.

_Hey Seven. Thanks for helping us. I look forward to meeting you finally, or again._

_I do too, Harry. I hope this works out as we have planned._

_Yeah, that would be nice._

Serina came back to herself and looked at Severus from over the book she had been reading before Harry called to her. Severus was deep in his own tome.

"Severus, guess what?"

Severus looked up at her with interest.

"Harry Potter just contacted me!"

Severus' eyebrow shot up.

"He has been in contact with the Order and they are making plans for the raid. They are willing to go along with the plan I outlined to Harry."

"They believe him then?"

"Yes, but they still don't trust me fully. I wouldn't if I were them either. But they've cleared your name, Severus. They asked Dumbledore's portrait about you and he confirmed that you both had planned his death."

Severus nodded and went back to his book. Serina looked at him curiously.

"Doesn't that make you happy?"

Severus frowned. "I suppose. It makes me happy that I probably won't need to worry about spending the rest of my life in Azkaban."

Serina put down her book and crossed over to Severus. Taking his book and placing it on the floor, she sat down in his lap.

"You really thought that you would be sent to Azkaban?" she asked him.

Looking at her thoughtfully, he only nodded his head.

"But surely you would have cleared your name!"

"It is just my word against everyone else's. Why would they trust a known Death Eater?"

"But your memories…"

"Useless. Memories can't be altered, but the person's emotions can confuse them. The Ministry would be biased against me already because I am a Death Eater. The memories would be considered unusable or highly suspect if they were allowed."

"That's ridiculous," Serina snorted.

"That's the Ministry. They do not give Death Eater's second chances, whether they have been working as spies for the Order or not. I was originally planning to just go into hiding."

"And when were you going to inform me of this, Mister?"

"When I took you with me."

She studied him curiously. "Well, now you have another option."

"Yes, I do, thanks to you."

"I'm sure you will be cleared of murder, my love."

"Serina, you are much too trusting of the world and its ability to be fair." Severus pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. "And I would have you no other way."

Severus pulled her to him and his lips found hers. They kissed tenderly as their bond increased their emotional responses. They basked in each other's touch as each was showered with kisses by the other. Severus placed soft kisses down Serina's neck and his passion was kindled by the shivers he felt coming from her.

"Shall we retire to the bedroom?" he whispered in her ear.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Serina gasped.

They rose and walked to the bedroom, never taking their eyes off one another.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: The Snake dies. Thanks for reading. Leaving a review would make me eternally grateful._


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"I think I figured out what to do about Nagini," Serina mused as she sat on the rug by the fireplace.

Severus was lying down with his head in her lap. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. Thanks to Serina, he finally knew about the Horcruxes.

"I'll give him a heart attack," she explained as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Wouldn't the Dark Lord be suspicious if his prized snake keels over from a heart attack?" Severus asked.

"Probably, but if we can kill him in a way that can be traced to a health concern, he will let it go. I can also place the thought that Nagini is sick before we do it."

Severus nodded. "When do you want to proceed?"

"As soon as possible. Do you know where the snake is?"

"I believe it resides with Voldemort in your cousin's home. Now would be a good time, for I know for a fact that Voldemort is not there. He is leading a raid on a Muggle sporting event."

Serina frowned at the possibilities that would bring, but then looked at Severus.

"It seems that we have the perfect opportunity then, unless he took the snake with him," Serina said.

Severus stood. "There's only one way to find out."

Serina followed suit and they exited the cabin and disapparated to Malfoy Manor. Under the pretense of visiting Lucius, they entered the mansion. Severus looked over to Serina quizzically.

"It's upstairs in the bedroom at the end of the hall. No one is around, we can go up safely," she told him.

They headed up the stairs and down the hall. Stopping at the bedroom door, Severus turned to her.

"Can you do it from here?" he asked.

"I think it would work better if we are in the same room," she replied.

Severus nodded and took his wand. He tapped the doorknob and said the opening spell, but nothing happened. The room was heavily warded. Serina grasped his hand and pulled it back. She concentrated on the lock and the wards that surrounded it, seeing each one disappear in succession. Finally the doorknob clicked. Severus raised an eyebrow at her as he grasped the knob and turned it, opening the door. She smiled at him as he opened the door.

They entered the room silently, glancing around. The snake was curled on the floor by the side of the bed. It seemed to be sleeping. Serina silently approached the giant snake. She entered its mind and put it into a deep sleep. Stooping down over it, she placed her hand on the snake and felt its body underneath her hand. She held her breath, waiting for the animal to stir, but it continued to sleep. Serina concentrated on the body of the snake, seeing its internal workings until she came to its heart. Using her mind, she pictured the heart's beating slowing until it stopped completely. She continued to keep her hand on the snake for a little while after that, making sure that the heart would never beat again. After some time, she removed her hand and straightened herself up.

"It's dead," she muttered to Severus.

"Then let us take our leave!" he said tersely.

He took her hand and they headed for the door. Serina caught his arm. "There's someone outside in the hall," she told him.

They both stood stock still as they heard a voice. It was speaking to someone else. The voices approached the door and they could hear a woman muttering the spell to drop the wards. Serina clenched Severus' arm and cast a vanishing charm like the one she had done at the cabin. They both disappeared.

Bellatrix entered followed by a tall man with a mustache. Severus led Serina around them and out the door and down the hall. Suddenly they heard a scream from Bellatrix. She must have discovered that the snake had come to an early demise.

"He will be furious!" Bellatrix screamed. "He will punish us all!"

Serina and Severus quickly descended the stairs, still in their vanished state. They hurried to the study, where they knew Lucius was. Serina made them visible again and they entered and greeted Lucius as if nothing were amiss. Luckily, he had not heard the commotion from upstairs yet.

They were making small talk when suddenly the study door burst open and Bellatrix ran in.

"Nagini is dead!" she cried.

The other three in the room looked at her in shock.

"How?" Lucius asked.

"I don't know. I went in to feed him and saw he was curled up where he always is. I just assumed he was sleeping, so I brought him his food and tried to wake him. He was dead."

"Did you summon the Dark Lord?" Severus asked in a nonchalant manner.

"No! He said not to be disturbed. I don't know what to do! He will be furious either way."

Lucius thought for a moment. "He would want to know about this development as soon as possible." He stretched out his arm and touched his Dark Mark, summoning his Lord.

"I think it is time we took our leave," Severus said to Serina.

She nodded at him. Bellatrix's eyes narrowed at them. "Just what are you two doing here anyway?" she demanded.

"I wanted to visit Lucius," Serina answered. "I don't ever get to see enough of him, and now that I've joined your ranks, I intend to see much more of him." She smiled coyly at her cousin.

Lucius smiled back at her, but Ballatrix wasn't so easily fooled.

"I think it's highly suspicious that you are here right when the Dark Lord's prized pet turns up dead!"

"Bellatrix," Severus said blandly, "we have been here with Lucius since we arrived. I don't think the Dark Lord will be pleased that you are trying to pin this on us. Do you even know if there was foul play involved? You said the snake was curled up as if it was sleeping. I hardly think it would be in that position if someone came in to kill it."

Serina shot the idea to believe Severus into Bellatrix's mind.

Bellatrix's wild look eased a bit. "You're right! Maybe it just was sick. The Dark Lord can't punish us if his snake was sick, can he?" She had a glint of hope in her eyes. "I must find out how the snake died!" She turned and left the room in a hurry.

Severus watched after her and then turned to Lucius. "Sorry to make a short trip out of this, but I do not want to be here when the Dark Lord finds this out. No matter what the reason is for the snake's death, his wrath will be great. You may want to get out of here yourself."

Lucius nodded as he hugged Serina and shook Severus' hand. "That's probably not a bad idea, but I'm afraid he would catch up to me eventually. I'll just remain here out of the way. Maybe he will forget that I'm here."

"Be careful Lucius," Serina warned.

He nodded and smiled at her. "I always am," he replied.

Severus took her arm and they left the room. When they had made their way out of the mansion, they disapparated away, leaving the household to Voldemort's wrath.

* * *

They had been summoned later on. In Voldemort's anger he sought out anyone who was in the Mansion that day. Severus and Serina convinced him that they hadn't even gone to the second floor of the Mansion, but had been with Lucius the whole time. He had searched their minds, but had found no deception on their parts.

Voldemort was still furious. His eyes had glinted fire and they knew that anyone found involved in Nagini's death would meet their own quickly. Eventually, he accepted the fact that the snake had just died. Its heart had stopped beating. When he reflected upon it, it had seemed that the snake had been somewhat sickly these past few weeks.

* * *

Serina threw herself on the couch in the cabin. She placed her hands over her head and rubbed her temples.

"I really thought we were done for," she remarked to Severus.

He sat down next to her with his arms folded. "I wondered the same myself. If it weren't for your mind powers, he probably would still be searching for that stupid snake's killer."

"I wish we could just kill him ourselves and get this whole thing over with!" Serina complained.

"Our fight will come soon enough. There are only two weeks until Halloween."

She nodded. "It will be here before we know it." Suddenly nervous, she went on. "I need to practice more."

"Shall we go outside and practice then?" Severus said with a calculative grin.

Serina nodded and they both rose and exited the cabin. They took up stances, wands in hand.

"Could you throw a few _Imperious _curses at me. I have only practiced them once."

Severus nodded and before she could even prepare herself had cast the spell. His imperious felt different than the one Tonks had set on her. Of course it made sense. He had actually used the _Imperious _curse for real, not just in practice. She felt oddly calm. She heard him tell her to spin around and she actually wanted to. She raised her hands, and then realized what was happening. She willed herself not to obey. Finally the temptation passed.

"What happened? You almost obeyed me."

"I don't know. I've only worked with Tonks and her _Imperious _wasn't nearly as coercive."

"We need to work on this more then. The more powerful the wizard is the more persuasive is his curse. You need to recognize the desires of the curse caster and separate them from your own desires."

Serina nodded and readied herself for another curse.

Severus raised his wand and chanted the curse. The calmness fell over her again, but this time she could see it came from Severus. She steeled herself as he commanded her to jump up and down. Gritting her teeth she fought the desire to be obedient. Finally she prevailed and the urge left her. Severus nodded his approval of her fighting and sent another _Imperious _curse at her. She fought it off and several others before Severus felt her practice had been sufficient.

Serina suddenly collapsed to the ground. Severus rushed over and knelt by her side.

"That was exhausting!" she cried, as Severus lifted her into his arms. "It was more intense than I was prepared for. I've never trained to block real dark spells before. I just assumed they would be the same as the spells that I had been training with, but they're much more potent."

He gently lifted her up and guided her back to the cabin.

"You'll need to rest, Serina. This kind of fighting is always taxing."

When they entered the cabin he guided her to the bedroom and helped her settle into the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, studying her exhausted face. For the first time he wondered how this battle would truly affect Serina. He had no doubt that she had the powers to accomplish her task, but how weak would she be at the end? What if she became so weak that she died? Was she sacrificing her life for the cause? He squeezed her hand and she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I have some reading to do," he explained. "Is it okay if I leave you alone to rest?"

Serina smiled at him an acknowledgement and he got up and left the room. Going over to the bookshelf in the main room, he perused the titles until he found the one he was looking for. Removing it from the shelf, he took it over to a chair and settled in for a long study session. He smoothed his hand over the cover for a minute before opening it. The title read _Strengthening Spells and Their Uses._ Perhaps he could find something to help Serina if she began to get weak during the battle. He opened the book and found the chapter he needed and began to read.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Voldemort's plan is implemented._

_I hope you liked it. We're almost up to the final battle. What do you think the outcome will be? Review, review, review!_


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The two weeks had passed quickly and Serina and Severus were preparing for the battle to come that evening. They would apparate to the Shrieking Shack after dinnertime at Hogwarts and Severus would go to "abduct" Harry. Then the fun would begin. Hopefully, the battle with Voldemort would be quick. Serina had been somewhat fearful since her practice with Severus. She hoped she had the strength to be able to shield them all and help Harry defeat the evil despot.

As she had lain in bed recovering two weeks earlier the realization of just how much energy this task would take settled upon her. With a sense of certainty, she realized that her powers would be tested to the extreme. Serina also realized that she might become so weakened that she could die. At first she had been terrified at the thought, but eventually she had come to accept the possibility. She knew that she was their only hope.

Coming back to reality as she stood by the lake and gazed across it, she thought of Severus. The thought of being parted from him was almost too much to bear. She frowned out at the lake. She could accomplish her tasks without killing herself, she just had to.

She felt Severus' arms encircle her. She knew he could feel her tenseness.

"It will be alright, my love," he whispered into her ear.

Serina reached up and caressed the arm that was lazily placed around the front of her.

"I know, but I'm nervous nonetheless," she countered.

"You will be as magnificent as always."

She sighed. "I hope so."

Serina turned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Be careful, Severus. I hope that the Order has believed all that I have told them, but there's still the possibility that you're walking into a trap."

Severus nodded. "I know and I'm prepared for that. All will go as planned and the Dark Lord will be finished before the night's end."

Suddenly all of Serina's fears crashed down around her and she tensed. "I don't want to lose you, Severus. I love you with all of my heart."

"I don't want to lose you either," Severus replied. Their lips met and they shared a heartfelt kiss.

Breaking apart, Severus continued, "You must be careful not to use too much energy, it could be fatal to you."

"I've been worried about that for the last two weeks now, but I don't really see any way around it. I have to do what needs to be done."

Severus ran his hand through Serina's hair. "Don't do things that are needless. Just shield us and let Harry do the killing. You should be fine if all goes as planned."

"Does anything ever go as planned?"

"This will. Trust me." He flashed a grin at her.

She searched his face. "I do, implicitly, but even you can't tell the future."

"I don't need to; I know you'll conquer him."

* * *

Severus and Serina approached the Shrieking Shack. Serina looked at it wistfully. It had supplied so many sweet memories for them. She was afraid that whatever memories were made tonight would be lost in their deaths. She felt Severus' arm wrap around her. He urged her on toward the entry of the shack, which had been blown away by some spell. Silently they crossed over the entry and went into the shack. They found Voldemort in the main room, where they had spent many a night cuddling by the fire. He was hunched over a bit, pacing in front of the fireplace. When he saw them, he straightened and turned to them.

"Ah, Severus, and the jewel of my plan, Serina, you are here. Tonight will be the crowning glory of all that we have worked for. I will finally kill Harry Potter and take over Hogwarts! The Ministry will crumble in fear!"

Severus and Serina both smiled deferentially to Voldemort.

Turning to Severus he demanded, "Go! Get the boy and bring him to me. I have waited long enough to destroy that meddlesome cur."

Severus bowed and removed himself from the room. Voldemort watched his retreating form and then turned to Serina.

"Once he has returned with Potter and I have finished him, you will go to the Hogshead. My Death Eaters await you there."

Serina looked at Voldemort curiously. "Won't it take too long a time to get them from there to Hogwarts?" she asked.

He tittered at her. "Of course not! You see, one of my operatives was in the Hog's Head Bar a week or so ago and, to his surprise, discovered a passageway that leads directly into the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. It will be the perfect sneak attack. We will destroy them right where they are gathered!"

Serina raised an eyebrow. "How did your operative discover such a passage, or do I really want to know?"

"He saw Mundungus Fletcher coming from the upper floor of the bar, but had not recalled seeing him enter. He followed him out and _Imperioused_ him. Fletcher was quite forthcoming with all of the details. It seems the Order has used that entrance before to get into Hogwarts unseen."

"But aren't they using it again tonight? They will be suspicious if a bunch of Death Eaters are hanging around the bar on the same night they have a meeting scheduled."

Voldemort hissed angrily at Serina. "Foolish girl, they will never see my Death Eaters. They will stay hidden until the meeting has started. The barkeep will have joined the meeting, so they will have free entry to the passageway."

"Won't he have warded the bar or something so no one can enter?"

"His wards are no match for the cunning of my men. They will be through them within a matter of minutes."

Serina grinned happily at him. "It seems you have thought of everything, My Lord," she congratulated.

"Of course I have, my pet. That's why I'm your Master."

"Yes, my Lord. Are all of the Death Eaters at the Hog's Head, or have you left some in the woods to guard us?" Serina asked this as she walked to the open doorway and peered into the dimly lit area surrounding the Shack.

Voldemort laughed a hideous laugh. "I need no protection here! We will have Potter dead on the floor before he can even guess as to what's going to happen to him."

Serina turned back to Voldemort. She grinned what she thought was an evil grin. "I cannot wait for that, my Lord!" she gushed stupidly.

Something flashed in Voldemort's eyes and he closed the distance between them. He took one long, thin finger and traced the outline of Serina's jaw.

"You are quite beautiful Serina," he said. "Severus is truly a lucky man."

Panic surged through Serina's body and she forced it down and willed herself to remain calm.

"Yes, and I'm truly a lucky woman to have him."

"Of course, but, surely you have wondered what it would be like to be with a _powerful_ man like me. One who could give you everything you wanted and more?"

_Stay in character, stay in character! _Serina chided herself nervously.

"I suppose the thought has crossed my mind, but I am faithful to my husband. I love him."

"Surely one little kiss wouldn't hurt anything, now would it?"

Serina recoiled within herself. The thought of kissing Voldemort made her skin crawl. She snapped her walls up so he wouldn't see her disgust and placed an amiable smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I am devoted to my husband and even though your offer is most kind, I must refuse."

She felt his grip tighten on her jaw. "That was not a request, Serina. You are mine to do with as I wish! _Imperio!_"

She felt the curse hit her and the calmness that came with it. He was willing her to kiss him! His face was getting closer to hers now and a great fear welled up in her. It was so hard not to reach up and pull his head toward her and plant the kiss on his lips. She was actually moving closer to him. Oh Merlin, she couldn't do this! Remembering everything Severus had told her, she finally was able to take control of her actions and throw off the curse. Quickly she entered Voldemort's mind and forced his will against him. She saw the change in his eyes and felt his hand release her face.

"I will respect your wishes for now. Hopefully your husband does not meet with a _tragic _end during this battle." His eyes were cold and red. "I shall be upstairs awaiting his return with the boy. Alert me to his arrival immediately."

Serina nodded to him as if nothing had transpired. She watched him ascend the stairs quickly and disappear. She heaved a great sigh and meandered over to the sofa that was in front of the fireplace. She threw herself into it and mulled over the past few minutes. She had narrowly escaped his advances. If it weren't for her mind powers, he would be kissing her and doing Merlin knows what to her right now.

Her shoulders sunk down and she was riddled with fear. He intended to kill Severus. That's the only thing he could have meant by his comment. He would kill him and claim her as his own. She grimaced. She knew they would be long dead before that ever came to pass, but it still sent a shiver down her spine at the thought of Voldemort's hands all over her.

She cast the thought out of her head and reached out to Harry.

_Harry?_

_I'm here!_ he thought after a few seconds.

_Has Severus reached you yet?_

_No, not yet._

_He is on his way. He will be there shortly. The Death Eaters are gathering near the Hog's Head Bar. They will make their attack through the passageway that leads into the Room of Requirement. Tell the Order to be ready to attack after you have left. They will not be suspecting an ambush and do not expect the Order's meeting to finish for another hour or more. They are also awaiting my arrival to lead them into the school._

_I'll tell them. I think I see Snape coming. There's a black billowing shape approaching the school._

_Okay Harry. I will contact you again in a few minutes._

Harry explained the plan to Lupin and Moody as they watched the billowy black form become Severus Snape as it approached the entry to the school. The three Order members raised their wands as Severus came up to them. He did not raise his.

"I thought we were supposed to be on the same side," he hissed.

Remus answered him, "Just because the circumstances of Dumbledore's death are different from what we had originally supposed, does not mean that you are a gentle lamb, only here for our good!"

"You do get testy nearing a full moon, don't you Lupin?" Snape silkily drawled.

"Enough!" Moody snapped. "Can you prove to us that you are on our side?"

Severus sneered. "If I wasn't on your side, you wouldn't be alive right now! I would have killed you where you stood and taken the boy for my own!"

"Stop!" Harry yelled. He put down his wand. "This is getting us nowhere. I made an agreement and I will follow through with it. If Snape wanted to attack us, he would have even before he had gotten close to us. Lower your wands, I'm going with him."

"Harry," Remus said, "I don't fell good about this at all."

"The time for debate is over. I trust whoever it is who is waiting for me. Thank you both for waiting with me, now go tell the Order what is to happen."

With that he strode past all of them and headed for the gates. Severus bowed his head to the other two men and turned away and followed Harry. He kept his hackles up, sure that they would hex him in the back, but no curse came. The other two men watched as Harry and Severus went off to the gates and then they turned and left to plan their offensive.

"So where are we going?" Harry asked Severus.

"The Shrieking Shack." Severus replied quickly.

"That figures," Harry snorted.

Harry felt the voice in his head again.

_Harry, are you with Severus?_

_Yes, we're headed for Hogsmeade now. Why aren't we apparating?_

_I need the time to talk with you. _Serina explained. _Have you figured out who I am yet?_

_Umm, you're a girl._

_Very astute Harry, it's no wonder you're the Chosen One._

Harry laughed which caused Severus to snap his head in Harry's direction.

"Just laughing at the voices in my head," Harry explained.

Severus nodded and went back to his own pensive thoughts, satisfied that his wife was explaining more to the boy.

_I am Serina Snape, _Harry heard inside his head. He gasped.

_You're alive?!_

_Yes, I faked my death to pull off this plan._

Harry glared at Snape and became suspicious. What if this _had_ been a trap and he was walking right into it.

_Harry?_

_How do I trust you knowing this bit of information?_

_Harry, this changes nothing. I already told you that Severus is on the Order's side. He is trustworthy. You can ask him yourself._

_How do I know he is telling the truth? He lies about everything._

_Harry, you have a great instinct. You will know if he is on your side if you listen to yourself instead of jumping to conclusions. I know when it comes to my husband, you always jump to conclusions, but you must believe me. He is no traitor._

Harry glanced over at Snape and studied him as they walked together. He still had the aura of authority that he always had, but he did not seem menacing. He had met many a Death Eater before, and honestly doubted that a trip to the Shrieking Shack with any other Death Eater would be so calm and relaxed.

_Maybe you're right_, he thought to Serina.

_Now listen. I spoke to you before of other powers. I have the ability to shield you from curses and spells. I will do so as you enter the Shack. Voldemort will be unaware of the protection until he tries to kill or curse you. I do not think he will play with you, he is anxious to see you dead. _

Serina continued, _He has said that there are no other Death Eaters in the vicinity. They are all waiting in Hogsmeade. So it will be just you and him. You will need to kill him yourself; that I cannot help you with. But I will protect you from him as long as I can. Severus can help you in whatever way you see fit._

_What if I can't kill him?_

_Harry, you must. You are the only one who can. I know it is a horrible thing to think about, but it is the only way to keep our world free. Seeing Voldemort in action has shown me how insane he is. He will destroy us all if given the chance._

_I know. And I'm ready. I will do what needs to be done._

_I knew you would. Speak to Severus. He will help you with a plan of attack if you feel you need one. I will see you shortly._

Harry looked over at Snape.

"You could have told me it was your wife," he said.

"She wanted to tell you herself. I take it you believe us, or I would be stupefied by now."

Harry looked at Snape in shock. "You would have let me do that to you?"

Snape turned an inquisitive eye on Harry. "I would have let you try."

Despite his dislike for his former Potions teacher, Harry actually smiled at him.

"That sounds more like the Snape I'm used to," he said lightly.

"Professor Snape," Severus demanded.

"Some things never change," Harry jibed.

Severus changed the subject. "Are you prepared to do what you must?"

Harry frowned. "I think so."

Severus turned on him so quickly that Harry's eyebrows shot up and he took a step back.

"You must not only 'think so' you must _know_ so. Any hesitation on your part will weaken the curse and cause it to fail. Whether Voldemort can do harm to you or not does not matter if ultimately you cannot send the killing curse to him and end his life. My wife has only so much strength in her. Her shield will fail given time. You must kill him and kill him quickly. Do you understand?"

Harry stared at Snape, his eyes wide. He nodded and Severus withdrew a little from Harry. He turned and continued walking as if nothing happened. Harry stared after him incredulously. How could the man turn himself on and off that way? Harry hurried to catch up with him.

"Professor Snape?"

"Yes?"

"How do I send the curse with conviction?"

Severus stopped walking and thought a moment. He turned and looked Harry in the eye.

"You must see the results before you cast the curse. You should picture Voldemort lying dead at your feet. Do not flinch at the sight, revel in it. Revel in the freedom that his death will give to you and everyone else on the planet."

"That seems so sordid. Is that how you do it?"

Severus scowled and began to pace. "Is that how I do it?" he repeated. "Do you think I run around happily killing people in my wake and reveling in it? Do you?" He had stopped again right in front of Harry and they were nose to nose now. Harry could feel Snape's breath in his face.

"I…I meant no disrespect. I just know that as a Death Eater, you have to kill people. I was wondering how you were able to do it right. That's all."

The snarl left Severus' face and he backed off a bit. "For your information, the only killing I have ever done is to keep others from being tortured mercilessly." He turned away from the boy as he continued. "The thoughts that come to my mind in those moments are relief from suffering." Severus cast his eyes down and began to walk again.

"I'm sorry Professor. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories. I just don't want to fail everybody."

Severus stopped again and regarded Harry, his eyes narrow. After a minute he spoke again.

"You really are Lily's son, aren't you?"

Harry looked at him curiously.

"You put others before yourself. Your Mother had an uncanny knack of doing that herself. Thus the protective charm she put over you in death."

Harry thought about that as they continued again.

"What was she like?" Harry asked.

Severus winced. "That story is for another time. You must concentrate on the task at hand, or you will fail."

Harry nodded. "Will you tell me about her sometime?"

Severus sighed in exasperation. "Do you not listen, boy? I said that story was for another time, not that I would never speak of her to you!"

Harry smiled at Snape and Snape scowled. He was losing his touch. He no longer frightened the boy. Severus supposed that was probably for the better.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Nothing ever goes as planned._

_Well, the big showdown is finally here. Will Serina have the strength to keep Harry and Severus safe? Let me know what you think. I hope you're all having fun. Sorry if I grossed you out with Voldemort. He's so full of himself that he doesn't realize how nasty he really is. I jut couldn't help having him hit on Serina. Have a great weekend, and don't forget to leave a review. Thank you for reading._


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Severus and Harry finally reached their destination and Severus laid his hand on Harry's shoulder to stop him.

"I will alert Serina that we are here before we enter. She will be able to shield you from danger."

Harry nodded and Severus contacted Serina. She told them to enter and that she would get Voldemort, who was waiting upstairs. Severus nodded at Harry as he grabbed him by the torso and stuck the point of his wand into Harry's cheek.

"Hey!" Harry cried.

"You don't expect to look believable by just walking in behind me do you?" Severus spat.

Harry relaxed. "I didn't think of that."

"Of course not," Severus murmured as they started to approach the Shack. They went through the open door just as Serina descended the stairs.

"He is coming," she said as she extended her shield over the three of them.

A few seconds later, Voldemort descended the stairs with an evil grin on his face. He opened his mouth to speak when there was a commotion in the doorway.

"My Lord! It's a trap!"

Bellatrix stood there, looking insane, her wand drawn and pointing at Severus and Harry.

Serina glanced nervously at Severus.

_Let it play out _he advised her with his thoughts.

Voldemort began to laugh.

"But of course it's a trap Bella. A trap for the Potter maggot here!"

"No! Severus is working with him. I saw them come up to the shack, just walking together. It wasn't until they got within view that Severus took him forcefully. He said something about Serina being able to shield Harry too!"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Severus, explain yourself."

"It's just Bellatrix's usual hysteria about everything," he said blandly. "I had _Imperioused _Potter until we came closer to here. I didn't want to have to drag him kicking and screaming all the way from Hogwarts. As for a shield, I don't know what she's talking about. Perhaps she misunderstood something I said about Serina being alive and that she would not y_ield_ her position among the Death Eaters."

Voldemort did not look convinced and he searched Severus' mind, but found no incriminating evidence. He then searched Bellatrix's mind and found that she believed what she saw.

"No matter," Voldemort quietly said. "Potter will be dead in a minute and if these two are traitors, they will be too."

Bellatrix kept her wand trained on Severus and Harry, not believing Severus' excuse for a minute.

Lord Voldemort smiled evilly at them as he twisted his wand back and forth in the direction of Harry's face. Excitement coursed through Voldemort's body at the thought of Harry Potter finally being dead. With the death of the useless Potter, he would be free to take over the world and no one could stop him. He looked at the pathetic boy. Voldemort was slightly disturbed to see no fear in his eyes. Of course, this was common with this brat. He always glared at him defiantly. The maggot thought he was equal to Voldemort's greatness. How wrong the boy was. He would show him just how powerful a wizard he was. He, Lord Voldemort, was not one to be fooled with. Picturing Potter's body, lifeless on the floor at his feet, Voldemort gloated to himself. He readied himself for the task at hand.

"_Avada Kedavra"_ Voldemort shouted and cast the killing curse on Harry. Everyone held their breath as the green shaft of light sped toward the young man. To Voldemort's amazement it bounced off of Harry and headed straight back to Voldemort's head. He dropped to the floor, barely able to dodge the curse.

At that moment, Bellatrix changed her strategy and sent a killing curse at Serina. It too shot back at Bellatrix, but she had already ducked and it harmlessly flew over her own head.

Then chaos ensued. Voldemort rose, screaming in rage, and sent a huge fireball toward Harry. Severus stepped away from Harry and turned his attention to Bellatrix, who began shooting any curse she could at Serina. Of course, Serina was unharmed, but each one took a small amount of her energy and she felt herself weaken slightly. When the fireball hit Harry, she felt a large amount of her power leave her. Harry stood unharmed.

_You can move, Harry. Try to dodge the big things. And you can use your magic through the shield!_ Serina thought to him.

That sent him dodging left and right, trying to evade the curses and other things being thrown at him by Voldemort. He still was hit by a few and was grateful for the protection Serina was giving him. He was having a hard time finding an opportunity to send his own spell. Finally the death curse rang from his lips and flew at Voldemort, but the snake was too quick. He did a forward roll and evaded it entirely.

Voldemort transfigured a table into a mass of knives and sent them hurtling at Harry. There was nowhere for him to run and he put up his own _Protego _shield as they beat against it and Serina's shield. Harry levitated the sofa and sent it hurtling at Voldemort. Voldemort's eyes grew wide and with a flick of his wand, he had turned the couch into sawdust, which showered him, but did no harm. He turned in rage to Harry and shot a bolt of lightning at him. Harry wasn't quick enough to shield it.If it hadn't been for Serina's shield, Harry would have been burned to a crisp, but the lightning bolt just shot away from him and crashed into the wall.

Harry shot more items at Voldemort, transfiguring boards into daggars and levitating a chair and hurtling it toward the evil despot. Voldemort shielded himself from everything and sent the chair flying back toward Harry. With a quick flick of his wand, Harry had turned it into a swarm of bees that headed back to Voldemort. The gloating sneer left Voldemort's face, only to be replaced by a look of dread as he quickly shot a spell at the bees. The swarm exploded into a million pieces, sending insect parts into every corner of the room. Everyone was covered with bee goo, including Voldemort. Voldemort cleaned himself off quickly and Serina mentally did the same for everyone else.

During all of this Severus had Bellatrix retreating, but she was sending spell after spell at him. Trying not to weaken Serina anymore, he tried to dodge most of them. Bellatrix smiled her evil smile and cackled away.

"I always knew you were a useless spy, Snape. Who did you think you were fooling?"

Serina sent a _Stupifying _spell at her, but Bellatrix had managed to step forward to advance more on Severus and the spell missed her. However, Serina had distracted her and Severus took the opportunity to send another spell at her. She shielded it and continued to throw curse after curse at Severus. He fell to the ground and shot a snake at Bellatrix. She cackled and turned the snake into a scarf, which fluttered to the floor. She immediately threw her own little specialty, a small dragon, from her wand. It shot straight at Severus, breathing fire with it. The fire grazed Severus' shield as he quickly shot a killing curse at the dragon, which fell to the ground on its back, skidding into Severus' leg as he hurried back to a standing position.

Bellatrix gave him a wild eyed stare of fury and shot the killing curse at him as he rose. Unable to dodge the curse, it bounced off of Serina's shield. He glanced at her and saw her wince. Turning back to Bellatrix, he began to shoot spells rapidly at her. She protected herself and shot just as many at him. They were drawn into a sort of dance as they dodged each other's spells and cast their own.

Suddenly, he heard another death curse and looked over just as the green light left Serina's body and crashed into Bellatrix. Bellatrix stumbled forward and crashed to the ground, her eyes glazed over, seeing no more.

Serina turned white and looked as if she might faint. For the first time, Harry screamed. One of the _Cruciatus _curses that Voldemort had thrown had managed to slip through the shield and had sent pain coursing through his body for a split second before Serina's shield cut off the curse again.

Voldemort laughed in delight as he heard Harry's pain felt cry. Harry quickly stood again and sent another killing curse at Voldemort. Flying to the left, Voldemort again evaded the curse. As he rolled to the ground he sent wave after wave of curses, daggers, and fireballs upon Harry.

Severus glanced at Serina and saw that she had slowly sunk to the floor. Her energy was almost gone. She looked as if she was about to pass out.

"Hurry, Potter," Severus urged to the younger man as he made his way to Serina's side.

Harry sent another curse towards Voldemort, who rolled again and was suddenly on his feet. So used to the killing curse pouring from his mouth, he chanted it again, this time at Serina, trying to kill the one who was able to shield all of them. She was now kneeling on the floor, her hands supporting her and her face contorted in pain. Severus was by her side, holding her so she would not collapse onto the ground. Voldemor'ts killing curse bounced off her shield. It snapped back at him and he dodged out of the way, but he miscalculated the other factors in the room.

Harry had seen what he was doing and projected his jump to evade the curse. He steadied himself, waiting for Voldemort to come to a stop and shot another killing curse at Voldemort before he could recover from his first dash. The curse hit him squarely in the chest.

Voldemort looked incredulously at his chest and then roared, "Nooooo!" before collapsing to the floor in a heap. All was eerily silent.

Harry rushed over to the still body and turned him over. The shriek he had given was set into his face, leaving Voldemort with an even uglier grimace in death than he had in life. Harry's shoulders fell and he heaved a great sigh of relief. He had done it. He had defeated the most evil wizard to ever grace the planet, and it was all thanks to Serina Snape.

He looked over to where she had last been. The scene that was before his eyes was not promising. Severus knelt over Serina, cradling her in his arms. She must have collapsed completely from the strain of protecting the three of them throughout the battle.

Harry rushed over to see what could be done. Serina looked very weak. She was pale and soaked in sweat. Snape was caressing her forehead and murmuring to her that everything would be alright.

She smiled weakly at him.

"I can feel my life energy leaving me. I don't think I can survive, my love."

"No, Serina, you will recover. You just need to rest. It's all over, you can rest now."

"I…I'm having trouble seeing you. Everything is getting blurry. Severus. Kiss me, one last time."

He bent lower and gently kissed her lips. She was barely able to kiss him back, but she did. Even that little bit of movement seemed to be too much for her and she lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Will Serina survive?_

_I hope you enjoyed the destruction of Voldie. Happy reading, and please review._


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Harry gasped as Severus gently placed Serina's head back on the ground.

"Is she dead?" Harry asked.

"No, but she will be soon. I need your help."

"Anything!" Harry exclaimed, only too willing to help the woman who had saved his life.

Severus turned to Harry. "There is a strengthening spell that I can perform to help her heal herself, but it requires the wand work of two wizards."

Harry stepped to the other side of Serina and held his wand over her. "What do I do?"

"You must wave your wand in a star pattern while chanting _Augeo et recipero._ We must both say the chant in unison three times on my lead. Do you understand?"

"_Augeo et recipero. _Yes, I have it," Harry said with a nod.

Severus started moving his wand in a pentagram over Serina's head and Harry did the same over her torso. Severus looked up at Harry and gave a slight nod. They both chanted the incantation.

"_Augeo et recipero_

_Augeo et recipero_

_Augeo et recipero"_

A blue glow enveloped Serina and the wands and a bright blue bolt shot through Serina's body and then was gone. Immediately Serina's breathing became less labored. Severus put his wand down and felt her neck. Her pulse had steadied and was now somewhat regular. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small vial. He unstoppered it and slid his hand beneath Serina's head. Lifting her ever so slightly, he opened her mouth and poured the potion into it. She seemed to get a little less pale. Pocketing the vial and his wand he finally he looked up at Harry.

"Thank you. You should go help the Order with the Death Eaters. I will get Serina to the Hogwarts infirmary."

"No, let me help you with her."

"I am fully capable of helping my own wife, Potter. Now go!"

Harry nodded and turned to leave. He hesitated for another moment and turned back to Snape.

"Professor?"

"What is it now, Potter?"

"Thank you for everything you and Serina did. I would be dead now if it wasn't for you both."

Severus halted his act of scooping up Serina and looked up at Harry. He gave him a slight nod before returning to his task of lifting her up in his arms. He watched the young man leave and followed him out of the Shack, apparating to the Hogwart's gates within seconds.

He hurried through the gates and up to the entryway. Within a few minutes he was laying Serina on a bed in the infirmary. He was surprised to note that they weren't alone. Nymphadora Tonks lay in another bed with Lupin stooped over her, looking worried.

Poppy had rushed over at their entrance and was now demanding to know how he had managed to bring in a woman who was supposed to be dead. Severus explained what had happened.

"I am not sure what else she needs, if anything. Can you just examine her and make sure she will be alright?"

She eyed Severus suspiciously but went over and started waving her wand over the unconscious woman.

"I assure you, Poppy, if I was truly a Death Eater, I would not be standing here alive. Remus would have killed me by now."

She glanced over at Remus, who had been watching them since their entry. He stood and wandered over, stopping next to Severus.

"So she was the mole?"

Severus nodded.

"I supposed she faked her death?"

Severus nodded again.

"Clever. What happened to her?"

"She zapped her strength trying to protect herself, Potter, and me. She almost died, but I was able to restore some of her life force. I can only hope it is enough. How is Tonks?"

"She's hurt badly, but Poppy says she will survive," Remus said as he glanced over at the frail shape of the pink haired woman. "I'm glad I got her here as soon as I did, she almost bled to death."

"You care for her, don't you, Lupin?"

Remus nodded.

"Does she know?"

Remus shook his head.

"Then you should tell her. As you can well see, life is too short to waste."

Remus looked at Severus with a new understanding. "You're right of course. The worst she could say is no."

Severus nodded. "But she will probably say yes."

Remus looked at him curiously. "How would you know that?"

"She has had her eye on you for a while now."

"What do you know about it?"

"I have seen her Patronus. It is not what it once was."

Remus stood quietly for a time and then nodded. He wandered back to Tonks and took a seat beside her. He reached out and held her hand. Severus turned his attention back to Poppy, who was still waving and chanting. He frowned. Serina had to survive this. He knew he couldn't live without her.

He marveled at how she had held out until the task was done. A weaker woman would have fainted dead away long before that. But she was no weak woman. She had sacrificed herself for Harry and him. She knew all along that the battle would not be a quick one and that she was slowly killing herself. He felt completely undeserving of such a marvelous woman.

Poppy was finally finished and stood and turned to Severus.

"Why hasn't Remus taken you into custody?" she asked Snape.

"There is no need. I helped defeat the Dark Lord. I have been underground as a spy since Dumbledore's death."

"That may be, but it does not negate the fact that you killed Dumbledore. No matter what you've done since then, you are still a murderer!"

Remus interjected from his side of the infirmary. "He is innocent of murder. Even Dumbledore's portrait admits it. Severus was under orders from Dumbledore to kill him."

Poppy looked back and forth at the two men in astonishment. "Who on earth would order themselves killed?" she remarked.

"Someone who was already dying," Snape said rather flatly. "Now, what is the condition of my wife?"

Poppy decided to wait for the full story that would evidently come out later. She huffed in exasperation and addressed Severus. "She is incredibly weak. It is as if her entire life force has left her body. Right now she is in a coma, but it is for restorative purposes."

"Did you put her into the coma?" Severus asked.

Poppy looked at him in exasperation. She was just getting to that point. "No, I did not. It seems her own body is repairing itself the only way it knows how to. She lapsed into the coma after I had stabilized her heart rate and breathing to normal. I assume she will stay in the coma until she is healed. I have every confidence that she will emerge from it herself when she is ready to do so. Other than her weakened condition, she is not harmed in any way."

"What if she doesn't come out of the coma?" Severus asked as he worriedly studied his wife.

Poppy looked over at her too. "There's really nothing I can do. She will either wake in her own time, or she will never wake. I'm sorry I can't tell you more Severus."

He nodded and went to Serina's bedside. Leaning over he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Grasping her hand, he settled into a chair next to the bed and set to waiting. Both he and Remus said nothing as the time passed slowly. Severus frowned at Serina.

The link they shared had diminished considerably. He could feel her presence, but it seemed empty. Her aura was usually incredibly vibrant, but now he could hardly feel her at all. He mourned the loss of the link and squeezed Serina's hand. She had to come out of this. He looked at her desperately but Serina didn't move.

After a while there was a commotion outside of the infirmary. The doors burst open and Minerva came striding in, followed by Harry and his two tagalongs. They were then followed by Shacklebolt, who was supporting Moody. The rest of the Order came in after them, some dragging themselves or others along with them. It seemed that Tonks was the only one who had received life threatening injuries in the battle. Severus heaved a sigh of relief to see the Order members alive and only slightly injured. Most of them gave Severus horrid looks as they passed him. Poppy rushed out and began tending to the wounded. Minerva and Harry made a beeline for Severus.

"How is she?" Harry asked.

"She is in a coma. Poppy feels that she is healing herself and will wake when she is better."

Harry nodded. Minerva looked on sadly.

"We had no idea she was alive!" she marveled.

"It was part of her plan. She wanted the Order to go on with its preparations so she could coerce Voldemort to attack." Severus was silent for a minute and then added, "How went the battle?"

Minerva answered him. "We surprised them and had the advantage. We cut down at least half of them before they even knew what had hit them. By the time Mr. Potter arrived, we had almost subdued the lot of them. There were three Death Eater casualties and many wounded. Ministry officials arrived just a few minutes ago and are taking them all into custody and taking the wounded to St. Mungo's." Minerva hesitated for a moment. "Severus, Harry explained everything to me. I owe you an apology."

"There's no need to apologize. I know how everything looked."

"Nonetheless, Severus, I of all people should have known there was more to the story."

Severus looked at her and saw her remorse. He simply nodded his acknowledgement and turned back to Serina.

"Was Lucius among the Death Eaters?" he asked finally.

Minerva thought for a moment. "No, I don't think he was."

Severus raised an eyebrow to her. "If he wasn't present, then is there any evidence of his working with Voldemort?"

Minerva mulled over what she knew. "There is some, but much that is not provable. Most things are rather hearsay, I must admit. I mean, I'm sure he'll go to trial, but I don't know whether they could prove him to be an active Death Eater or not. He has not done anything obvious for quite some time."

Severus rose. "I will be back; I must see Lucius before they take him into custody."

"Let the legal system do its job, Severus," Minerva urged him.

"This is purely a social call. He is, after all, my cousin-in-law."

With that Severus strode from the infirmary, his robes billowing behind him. Minerva sighed. Severus surely hadn't lost any of his dominant presence in his year hiding as a spy amongst the Death Eaters. Finally letting her exhaustion get the best of her, she ambled over to the chair next to Serina and threw herself into it, feeling much older and worn out than she had ever felt before.

* * *

Severus entered the Manor and looked around. There was no butler to greet them and the home was eerily quiet. He took the stairs to the second floor two at a time and paused outside of Lucius' and Narcissa's bedroom. He lifted his hand and knocked.

"Who is there?" he heard Narcissa call from within the room.

"It's Severus," he answered.

"Enter," she told him and he strode through the door.

The sight that welcomed him oddly mimicked the one he had just left. Lucius was bedridden and Narcissa hovered over him like a lost child. Severus quickly came to the side of the bed and looked Lucius over.

"What happened?" he asked Narcissa, as it seemed that Lucius was unconscious.

"He collapsed this morning. I levitated him to the bed and he hasn't moved since."

"Have you heard the outcome of the battle?" Severus asked her.

"No, but our Dark Marks have disappeared. I suspect Voldemort is dead?"

Severus nodded and filled her in on the details, including Serina's role in everything. Narcissa heaved a great sigh as he finished.

"No one will believe that we had become disenchanted with him. We will be sent to Azkaban." She looked glumly down at her husband's hand.

"I think there is some hope. I believe Serina made Lucius pass out. Her powers can affect people from a distance. She did not want him to be involved in the battle tonight because she knew there would be an ambush and his life was in danger. She also has read his mind and knows that he had his doubts about Voldemort's plans. She may be able to testify at his trial, and yours, if you will let her."

Narcissa narrowed her eyes. "I want nothing to do with her."

Severus' eyes narrowed right along with hers. "Now is not the time to hold petty grudges. Your fate lies in her hands. You best pray she wakes from her coma in time to help you and Lucius, or you may very well be spending a lifetime at Azkaban."

He turned to leave, but Narcissa called his name and he turned back to her.

"Are they coming for us?" she asked.

"I would imagine," he replied before slipping out the door and out of the house.

* * *

He apparated back to the Hogwarts gates, his mind on his wife's recovery. Instead of heading for the Entry after he had entered the gates, he made a beeline for the Forbidden Forest. Perhaps that Unicorn could shed light on Serina's situation.

As he walked, his thoughts became darker and darker. He was annoyed at Narcissa's petulance. He knew there was no love lost between Serina and her, but now was not the time to hold grudges. But that problem was not foremost in his mind. He was so worried about Serina he couldn't think straight. He hoped she wouldn't die, but the alternative was not pleasant either. The thought of her being in a vegetative state for any amount of time was enough to send him into hysteria. He had to find a way to bring her back to him.

He quickened his pace as he neared the edge of the Forest. His cape billowed behind him as he walked with urgency. With quickening strides he found himself in the clearing where Serina and he had first met the Unicorn. He looked around but saw no trace of Starlight. Grumbling to himself he searched the surrounding area, but could not find the Unicorn. What did he expect? The horse had better things to do than wait around for him to ask his stupid questions. Severus sank into despair.

_You should be by her bedside_ said a voice within his head.

Severus spun around and found Starlight, standing gloriously behind him, as if he had willed him there.

_Technically, I was in the neighborhood, but I did hear your distress and came to give you comfort._

"Will she awaken?" he asked the creature.

_Yes._

"Is there something I can do to help her?"

_Her injuries are severe. She will need time to heal. Just be by her side. She knows you are there, whether she can tell you so or not. Try to contact her in her mind. She will be able to hear you, even if she can't respond._

Severus looked down at the ground hopelessly. "How long will she be like this?"

_I cannot say. Everyone heals at a different rate. You did well in your efforts to strengthen her. That will make her healing easier._

"Can you heal her?"

The Unicorn hesitated. He knew Severus would ask him this, but he was unable to do anything for the woman.

_I can _the creature finally said.

"_Will _you?"

_No._

Severus grew angry. "Why not? She has done everything you have asked. You owe this to her!"

_She has indeed fulfilled her potential and we are very proud of her. However, even she will tell you that her learning experiences all came from her doing for herself. I could have trained her in her skills, but they were all the stronger in her for the journey she took to find them. It is the same with the healing process. She will be stronger if she takes the time to heal herself than if I rush to heal her prematurely._

"But what if she never awakens?" Severus asked, now in agony at the thought.

_Fear not, Severus Snape. She will awaken. You will be reunited with the one who is dear to your heart._

Severus' shoulders sagged in relief. He looked down at the ground again as he heaved a sigh.

_Be patient. This process will not take as long as you fear. She will be back with you soon._

Severus looked back up at Starlight. "Thank you, for all you have done for her, and for me."

The Unicorn bobbed its head.

_Farewell, Severus Snape. Make good use of the gift of freedom you have been given. Do not take it for granted as it is a unique gift, not easily acquired._

Severus regarded the Unicorn with wide eyes. "I will not forget that, Starlight."

Starlight nodded again and trotted off.

_Every encounter with that creature was a wondrous one, _Severus thought as he turned and started for the castle. His relief washed through him and his steps were lighter as he entered the castle and went up to the infirmary. As he entered he noticed how quiet it was. Everyone else had left, save for Tonks and Serina. Remus must have gone to get some rest, as he was not there either.

Severus hurried over to Serina's bedside. Some of his relief faded as he looked at her pale, expressionless face. He took her hand and stooped over to kiss her forehead. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stroked her hair, trying to get a response out of her. He was suddenly filled with despair again. She looked so small and frail, not like the powerhouse he was used to having at his side.

"My love, you must wake up!" he told her. "I cannot live without you."

Had he seen her lips quiver?

He entered her mind and called out to her.

_Serina, can you hear me? Please wake up soon. It kills me to see you like this. Come back to me, my love._

Nothing.

_The battle is won. The Death Eaters have been defeated, and whatever you did to Lucius, he escaped harm. He was unconscious in bed when I went to the Manor. I told Narcissa you would testify for both of them from the memories you read in Lucius' mind. I hope you're not angry about my offering that to Narcissa. I know you hate her, but Lucius would be lost without her. You should consider helping her too._

_You know that means that you must hurry and get better. I fear the trials will be quick this time around. The Ministry will want all of this unpleasantness behind them as soon as possible._

Did he feel something tugging at his consciousness? It was faint and quick, but he could swear it was something.

_That's it, my love. Keep trying. You can come back!_

Again, nothing.

Suddenly all of his exhaustion seemed to envelop him.

_I must rest. I too am exhausted. I will be right here with you, in the bed by your side. I will never leave you, Serina. I love you._

He withdrew from her mind as he stood. He dragged himself to the next bed and threw himself into it. His head hit the pillow and unconsciousness took over. He slept soundly with no dreams.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Severus anxiously awaits Serina's awakening._

_For those who wonder what Augeo et recipero means, it's Latin for 'Strengthen and revive.' Kudos to Mark Darcy for figuring out that the Unicorn might have something to do with Serina's recovery, although it wasn't quite as expected. Unicorns are quite the reticent set of beings, it would seem. So now all Severus has to do is wait, something he will find to be quite exasperating in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing. You mean you weren't going to review? Well, now I've called you on it, so you have to or you'll be embarrassed for the rest of your life. _


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Severus awoke the next morning and quickly glanced at Serina. She was in the same position as he had left her in last night. She had not moved at all. He sat up in the hospital bed and shook the cobwebs from his mind as he fully awoke. Rising from the bed, he got up and went over to Serina. Bending over her, he felt her forehead and caressed her cheek. She seemed colder than usual. Severus settled into the seat next to the bed and sat with her, just content to watch her breath, but wishing he could do more.

Hours passed with no movement from Serina. Severus hardly moved himself. Poppy had told him to get something to eat, but he was not hungry, so he had just remained by Serina's side. He had stared intently at her for a time, trying to will her to wake up, but she did not. He tried talking to her with his mind. He felt nothing in return. He felt as if he were about to go insane. When would she awaken? How long would this cursed healing take? He finally stood and started pacing at the foot of the bed. Poppy came out and eyed him.

"Severus, you'll wear a hole in the floor if you pace like that for too long," she chided him.

Severus' head snapped up. He looked at her crossly. "Isn't there anything else you can do for her?" he berated.

Poppy frowned; used to his abusive treatment when he was upset, but not willing to take it.

"Look, Severus, I've done all that can be done. You will just have to be _patient_ and wait for her to heal."

"Wait for her to heal! That's what everyone says, but they're not the one watching her, motionless on the bed, all of the life sucked out of her. How can I wait when she is so helpless?" He flung his hand toward Serina, pointing out how small and helpless she seemed.

Poppy sighed. "I think that you are the one who feels helpless, Severus. Serina may appear to be helpless, but I can tell she is healing herself."

She walked over and did some diagnostic wand waving.

"Just as I had suspected, she is quite a bit stronger than this morning even." She looked back at Severus. "You need to relax. Just because you can't see anything happening, doesn't mean she's not getting better." She pointed her wand at Severus' chest. "Get out of here and go for a walk or something. Get some of your pent up energy and rage out of you. Grab a bite to eat, anything, I don't care. Just don't show your face in my infirmary for at least two hours, is that understood?"

Severus' eyebrows looked like they would launch off the top of his head. He growled at her. "You can't make me leave my wife's side!" he snarled.

"This is my infirmary and I can shoo anyone out of here that I want to if the need be. I deem it a medical need for my patient that you _leave her alone _for a while. Now get out, or I'll have you escorted out, is that understood?"

Severus' eyes narrowed at the Mediwitch. He snarled something unintelligible under his breath, but knew better than to argue more with Poppy when she took this stance about her hospital. He wheeled around and stalked out of the infirmary, slamming the door behind him so she would be sure of his displeasure.

He descended the stairs and stalked out onto the grounds. He was fuming. How dare she speak to him that way? Who did she think she was? His wife hovered between life and death and she was throwing him from her side. Oh, if anything happened to Serina while he was away from her, Pomfrey would have much to answer for.

He checked his watch. Two hours! What was he going to do for that long? He stomped over to the lake and started throwing stones into it. You couldn't call it skimming stones because he just hurled the largest ones he could find directly into the previously still water. Over and over he bent down and picked up a stone, hurling it as far as he could and watching it splash down into the drink. He frowned with each new attempt and searched for more stones to throw to release his pent up rage.

So caught up in his new found activity, he didn't notice the form approaching him. It wasn't until a shape totally blocked out the sun that he stopped in mid throw and turned to see who the newcomer was. Hagrid stood there, looking at him with concern.

"Sorry ter bother yeh, Professor, but it looked like you were gonna pull a muscle there with the force you been usin' to throw them rocks."

Severus lowered his hand and dropped the rock, heaving a huge sigh.

"How's Professor Serina? I heard she came in yesterday unconscious. Has she woken up yet?" Hagrid asked.

Severus shook his head.

"No wonder yer chuckin' rocks then. I'd prolly do the same if it were my wife in there not wakin up."

Severus eyed Hagrid curiously. He seemed to be the only one who understood his plight.

"Yer wife's a wonderful woman. You know wha she did fer me? I don' know how tuh explain it, but she did somethin' to me the day of Dumbledore's funeral. She tol' me I was a great man and touched my arm. I felt somethin' powerful go through me, like a bolt of lightnin'. Ever since then, I've had a confidence I've never 'ad before. Like I said, I don' know what she did, but she changed my life."

Hagrid looked more seriously at Severus, who was watching him carefully. "A woman that powerful ain' gonna just roll over and give up, Professor Snape. Don' lose hope yet. She'll come back to yeh. I can guarantee it."

Usually Severus would take this opportunity to say something snide, but he found himself curiously believing what the half giant was telling him.

"How do you know that?" he inquired of Hagrid.

"I just do. I don' know if it has somethin' to do with the magic she used on me or what, but I know she'll wake up. And it'll be soon," Hagrid looked up thoughtfully. "maybe even today."

Severus nodded at Hagrid. He felt an unexplainable feeling of relief wash over him.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I actually believe you."

Hagrid put one of his large hands on Severus' back and patted him. "You should be getting' along now. Lunch'll be endin' soon and I bet you haven't eaten a thing since yesterday."

"Now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry," Severus murmured as Hagrid turned him toward the castle and gave him a gentle shove toward it.

"I'll be seein' yeh, Professor," he said to Severus' retreating form with a wave. Severus turned and seeing the huge waving man could do nothing but wave back and smirk to himself.

* * *

Severus sat next to Minerva and grabbed a sandwich. Minerva looked over at him and stared as he began to eat. Deciding to let his non-faculty status slide, she chose to let him stay at the faculty table.

"How is Serina, Severus?" she asked.

"The same," Severus said between bites.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

"Harry and Remus have gone before the Ministry. They are there now, arguing for you to not be charged in Dumbledore's death. I think they are going to offer to even bring in Dumbledore's portrait to vouch for you."

Severus' raised an eyebrow. "Potter is arguing for me?"

Minerva nodded.

"Wonders never cease," he remarked caustically. "Can you owl him to stop and desist. I don't want to be beholden to the likes of him for a minute."

Minerva looked peeved. "He is trying to save your life and all you can think of is being indebted to him? Grow up, Severus. It's time to let go of your Potter grudge and see Harry for who he is. He is not his Father! For that matter, I don't think any preponderance of evidence would have made James Potter stand up for you, and Harry is doing it all on the words of a portrait for heaven's sake!"

Snape looked down at the table. "It's not just the portrait. He's seen my memories."

Minerva's eyes widened. "How did that come about?"

"Serina showed them to him when she first approached him about the plan. It was the only way he would believe that I was working for the Order. The portrait was a lucky coincidence from what I understand."

"And you still think he is his Father's son? James would have never believed such evidence and probably turned the whole story upside down to embarrass you."

Severus slammed his hand on the table, instantly quieting the small talk that had been going on around them.

"I don't care what James Potter would have done. I don't care what Harry Potter is doing now. If I never lay eyes on Harry Potter again, it will be too soon! As far as I'm concerned, the Boy-Who-Couldn't-Be-Killed can just leave me to Azkaban!"

Severus had risen as he bellowed the last part. He turned and strode importantly out of the Great Hall all eyes following him.

Checking his watch, he noted that he still had an hour before he could return to the infirmary. Not really taking heed to where he was going, he found himself ascending the stairway quickly. He still fumed over Potter. Why, of all people, did it have to be him fighting his battles for him?

_--Well, isn't that what Lily did?_

_--Shut up, stupid brain._

—_Well, she did. And you did think he was more like her during the defeat of Voldemort._

—_He's his Father's child; arrogant and willful._

—_Still, why should he care what happens to you? His Father never would._

—_No, he wouldn't. That's my whole point._

—_Then we're in agreement, he is more like his Mother._

—_Maybe so! I still want nothing to do with him._

—_Suit yourself, he's still going to go to your defense, so you should get used to it._

—_Oh bugger off!_

Severus stopped arguing with himself as he noticed where he was. He stood in front of the Room of Requirement. He forgot about Harry Potter as he looked the blank wall up and down. Perhaps the room had something he could use to help Serina. He concentrated on what he needed.

_I need a cure for Serina. I need a cure for Serina. I need a cure for Serina._

Slowly a door formed. He quickly opened it and went into the room expectantly. The room was empty. Well, not completely empty. There sat a small podium in the center of it. Light streamed onto the podium, illuminating a parchment. Severus closed the distance between himself and the podium. He looked at the paper with bated breath. Would there be a potion recipe on it? Some sort of spell? What would it say?

There was only one word on the parchment.

_Time_

Severus groaned in frustration and snatched the parchment off of the podium. He crinkled it into a ball and threw it on the floor. Extracting his wand he set the podium ablaze and watched it burn and disintegrate into a pile of ash. He then set the crumpled ball of parchment ablaze until it poofed out of existence. That had felt quite satisfying. Perhaps he should set the whole room on fire. That would occupy some time.

He snorted. The cure was time. Everyone had told him so. Even the Room of Requirement had belched out the same prophecy. He was a man who understood patience, but when it came to his wife, he could not sit by idly waiting for her recovery. He felt incredibly helpless. His nerves were frayed and he was worried sick about Serina. He realized he needed to calm down. Almost immediately another podium appeared next to him, this time there was a small vial on it. Severus lifted the vial and unstoppered it. Sniffing it, he recognized it as a calming draught. _Very funny, _he thought. Nevertheless, he downed the potion and felt its effects almost immediately.

A chaise lounge appeared with a book on it. He wandered over to the sofa and sat down, lifting the book in his hands. _The Time Machine_ read the title. Severus smirked. He had never been berated by a room before. He had read this muggle book when he was a boy. It had been an interesting book and he could use a distraction for another, he glanced at his watch, forty five minutes. He cracked the book open and settled himself on the sofa and read. Checking his watch after a while, he noted that Poppy's allotted two hours had finally come to an end. He snapped the book closed and placed it back on the lounge and stood. He turned and left the room behind him and headed back to his wife.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Serina finally wakes up!_

_Poor Severus. Thank heavens he doesn't have to wait too long! He'd probably kill somebody. Thanks for reading and reviewing._


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"Back so soon?" Poppy had said to Severus through gritted teeth.

Severus had nearly run back to the infirmary. He knew he had set a new time record in traveling from the seventh floor to the small hospital.

"Your two hour deadline has passed," he grumbled.

Poppy just huffed and turned toward her office.

"There's been no change," she called over her shoulder as she retreated from the room.

Severus went over to the bed and stooped over his wife. She still was on her back, unconscious. She did look peaceful at any rate. He sat in the chair next to the bed and grasped her hand. He tried to communicate with her again, like Starlight had advised.

_Serina? Can you hear me? Please wake up, love. I'm worried about you. At least if you were conscious, I would know that you are okay. It's just so hard to see you lying there doing nothing. I'm afraid you'll never wake up and slip away from me without even saying goodbye. _

He studied her face for movement, anything. There was nothing. He heaved a great sigh and sat back in the chair. Folding his arms, he prepared himself for the long wait. Time indeed! He knew that plenty of time would pass before he saw the beautiful blue eyes of his wife again.

Day had changed to night. Severus remained in the chair, vigilantly watching over his wife. It was nearing midnight, he could tell by the height of the moon in the sky through the window. Poppy had long since retired to bed. She had left a food tray for him, but he hadn't had any appetite. She had chided him and told him to keep his strength up for Serina, but he was too depressed to eat anything.

He had fallen into a routine of checking her vitals through sight. He stared at her chest for a while and watched it rise and fall, then he would stare at her face for what seemed to be eternity, looking for some sign of consciousness. He would then move to her hands, hoping they would twitch. He would begin the whole sequence again after that. He figured he had done it about twenty times now and was beginning the monitoring of her face when he thought he saw her nose twitch.

He straightened up and bent closer to her, squinting to see better in the dimly lit room. Nothing, she remained still. Wait, what was that? Did her eyelid flutter? He reached out and held her hand. It felt warmer than it had before. Suddenly, she took in a huge breath and her eyes flew open.

She surveyed the room and found Severus right beside her, as she knew she would. She smiled at him. She saw the relief flood his face before he jumped out of his seat and engulfed her in his arms.

"Serina, you're awake!" he cried. "I thought I had lost you. Are you in pain?"

He released her from his hug to study her features, making sure she was all in one piece, even though he had been staring at her for the last few hours and she really hadn't changed at all.

"I'm not hurting. But I do feel very weak." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Let me get Poppy."

"No, it's alright. I just need rest. I don't think she can do anything more than what she has done already."

"Are you hungry? I have some food here."

Serina looked over at the tray. "Yes, I could probably eat a little bit."

Severus took the tray and cast a warming spell over it. He helped Serina get comfortably into a sitting position and set the food in front of her, taking a seat lower down on the bed to watch her eat. Serina raised her hand and lifted her fork. She frowned a bit.

"What is it?" Severus asked.

"I barely have the strength to lift this fork. I don't know how I'm going to manage a meal."

"Can I help?"

She shook her head no. Giving her hand a determined look, she stabbed at her meal and lifted a bit to her mouth. She slowly chewed and swallowed it, grimacing in disgust.

"Ugh, I guess I'm not that hungry, this tastes awful."

She replaced the fork back on the tray and pushed it away from her.

Severus took the tray away.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?" He had spun around and rushed back to her bedside after placing the tray on another bed.

"Would you lie down in the bed with me? I just want your arms around me right now."

Severus took his wand and enlarged the bed, making room for the two of them. Without a word he lay down next to her and wrapped her in his arms. They laid there quietly for a time, both just content to be in each other's arms until Severus finally spoke.

"Serina, why didn't you let go of the shield when you were getting weak? You almost killed yourself."

Serina weakly rubbed his chest. "I couldn't let you or Harry be harmed. I knew one of you would be killed if I failed."

"You were magnificent."

"What happened? I knew I was too weak to survive. How did I end up here, awake?"

"I used a strengthening spell on you. I feared you would strain yourself to near death, so I had done a little research. I found a spell for energy replenishing. Harry and I had to do it together."

"You saved my life," Serina whispered.

"And you saved mine," he countered. "Besides, I've become used to having you around." He was trying to be flip, but his voice began to crack with emotion. "I don't know what I would have done if you had died, Serina," he whispered.

"Thank you, my love, for keeping me by your side. I couldn't live without you either."

* * *

Serina slowly gained her strength back. During that time, Remus and Harry had fought for Severus in front of the Wizengamot, asking for them to drop all charges against Severus. They had brought in Dumbledore's portrait, and he vouched to the fact that his death had been planned and was a mercy killing. Snape himself had taken the stand, sitting in the chair in the middle of the courtroom, his hands bound to the armrests like a common thief. He had described his spying against Voldemort and the covert help he had given to Harry.

The Wizengamot listened carefully to his testimony, asked their questions, and let him go about his business until the day of the verdict. Evidently, he was dangerous enough to be questioned in irons, but he could roam the planet freely without recourse. The reporters had a field day. Snapping photos that appeared on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ of Snape stalking out of the courtroom each day, his head lowered, descending the stairs of the Ministry. The headlines were even worse. _Death Eater Roams Free _and _Is Azkaban too Good for the Killer of Dumbledore?_

Severus was worried. If the media wanted blood, he wondered if the Wizengamot would give it to them, no matter his innocence. He had been mildly surprised at the fervor that Potter and Lupin had when defending him. If he didn't know any better, he would think they actually liked him.

A week had passed and Severus sat once again in the courtroom flanked by Remus and Harry. He had come to a type of understanding with The-Boy-who-was-Invincible. They said as little as possible to one another and they got along fine. He could tell the younger man had wanted to speak with him on numerous occasions during the week, but Severus ignored him and bustled away from the courtroom hurriedly each day with the very real reason of having to get back to Serina.

Kingsley Shacklebolt slammed his gavel on the bench to bring the courtroom to order. People in the room hurried to get a seat and everything quickly quieted down.

"Members of the Wizengamot, you have heard the evidence for and against Severus Snape, how find you? Those who find that the defendant should be tried for murder, please raise your hands."

Several hands shot up, including, of course, the hand of Delores Umbridge.

"Those who find the defendant innocent and that no trial should be held, raise your hands."

The majority of the Wizengamot raised their hands and Severus heaved a sigh he hadn't realized had been building up in him.

"I hereby declare the defendant, Severus Snape, cleared of all charges. I would like to add on a personal note, that the Wizarding world owes you a debt of gratitude for all that you have done for it, Mr. Snape. You are free to go."

With that, Shakelbolt pounded the gavel again and rose to exit the room. A flurry of reporters headed for the door to announce the verdict in this high profile case and Severus found himself being patted on the back vigorously by both Remus and Harry.

"We did it!" Harry exclaimed.

"Right so! I wasn't worried in the least," gushed Remus.

Severus sat quietly, almost pensively.

"Severus, aren't you happy? You're free to live your life as you want to now," Remus asked.

Severus frowned. "I must admit that when I found out the two of you had gone to my defense I was furious. But I must thank you now for everything that you have done. I'm not sure I could have provided as good a defense for myself as the two of you have done."

Harry looked astonished. "Did you just thank us?" he cried. "Has Hades given up her dead?"

Severus winced.

"Did I just see a pig fly by the window?" Remus chimed in.

Severus put his head in his hands and moaned. "Wonderful, now I'm beholden to you two dunderheads for the rest of my life!"

Harry and Remus laughed. "Oh Severus, it could be worse," Remus said playfully. "It could have been Umbridge who had come to your rescue. Having to deal with her 'Ahem, ahem' for the rest of your life would probably have sent you over the edge."

"Lupin, I assure you, had that been the case I would have plead guilty and taken the sentence in Azkaban. Even that horrible fate would have been better than dealing with that toad."

Remus stood to leave. "Well, I must be going. Tonks is waiting for me," he said with a grin. "I want to thank you Severus, for your advice in the infirmary that night. She's agreed to marry me, despite my flaws."

Harry grinned broadly. "That's brilliant Remus, congratulations!"

"Yes," Severus agreed. "Congratulations."

Remus nodded his thanks and took his leave. Harry and Severus remained in their seats, staring straight ahead. The crowded courtroom now stood empty.

Severus wrinkled up his nose. "I suppose you want to gush at me about something?"

Harry's eyebrows knit together in nervousness. "I just wanted to thank you again for helping me. I never realized all that you had done until it came out in the trial. I don't think I would have been able to succeed if it hadn't been for you and Serina."

Severus relaxed and slumped a bit in his chair. "What I did, I did for your Mother and to destroy Voldemort. What Serina did, she did out of love and caring not just for you, but for everyone around her. She was ready to sacrifice herself for the two of us, and she almost did. You should be thanking her, not me."

"I'm intending to, when she feels better. Speaking about my Mother, is now a good time for you to tell me about her?"

Snape sneered at Harry. "If you will keep in mind that this is not going to make us be best buddies, I will tell you about her."

"Believe me, sir, I would never think that. What was she like?"

Severus began telling Harry about Lily. He had known her longer than even Remus had, so he had a great deal of personal information that Harry found fascinating. Severus even let Harry interrupt him at times to ask a question. Mostly, though, Harry sat in rapt attention, learning about the Mother he cherished but never knew in life.

"So why did you never speak of her before if you two were so close?" Harry asked.

Severus grimaced. He had hoped to avoid this part of history.

"It has to do with the memory you found in the Pensieve when we were working on _Occlumency_. I destroyed our friendship with one foul tempered word. I have been embarrassed by that incident ever since it occurred."

"You mean you guys weren't friends after that?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus shook his head. "She never forgave me, even though I apologized profusely. Then, later on I heard the prophecy about you and reported it to Voldemort. I am partly the reason your mother is dead. My guilt and shame kept me from ever mentioning her; that and the fact that my spy work would have been compromised if the Dark Lord had suspected that I loved Lily Evans even after she had been dead for so many years."

"You loved my mother?"

Severus heaved a great sigh. "Yes, I did. Why else would I have reacted so badly to her trying to help me? I was embarrassed that someone I cared about saw me in a moment of lost control. I'm sure you understand that I'm all about control, Potter."

Harry nodded, deep in thought.

"I'm sorry that happened," Harry said after a while.

"Don't be. I have made my peace with the entire affair. Serina has helped me more than I can say to overcome my regrets about the past."

"I'm glad she has. Your wife is truly an amazing woman."

"I am undeserving of her and her affections."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Give yourself a break, Professor. Everyone deserves some happiness, even a snarky old bat like you."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that.

"Thank you for sharing your memories of my mother, Professor. She sounds as wonderful as I had imagined her to be," Harry whispered, changing the subject.

"Indeed. I will say this, Potter. You have inherited much of her concern for others. I would not have expected you to run to my defense like you did, but your true nature drips of Lily's inability to keep herself out of other people's business when she feels she needs to defend them." Severus paused before continuing. "I must admit, I am glad you did. Of course, if you tell anyone that I said that, I will deny it to my dying day."

Harry grinned broadly. "Don't worry, sir. Your secret is safe with me." He stood to leave. "I think I have kept you away from Serina long enough. Thank you for condescending to tell me about my Mum."

Severus rose too and nodded at Harry. Harry then did the unthinkable. He extended his hand for a handshake. Severus stared at the hand of the Boy/Man who he had hated for years. He couldn't say he liked him, but the hatred now seemed to have disappeared, like so many other things had since Voldemort's death. With a small frown, Severus reached out and grasped the other man's hand. Harry's eyebrows flew up in amazement as the two men shook hands somewhat amiably.

"I think I just saw another pig fly by the window," Harry said with a grin on his face.

"Nonsense, Potter. It was a Wart Hog."

* * *

Severus entered the infirmary where his wife had been cooped up for a week and saw her look up at him expectantly. He glided to her bed and placed a kiss on her forehead before sinking into the chair next to her.

"I suppose I wouldn't be seeing you now if they had convicted you," Serina stated.

"I've been cleared of all charges," Severus recounted.

A weeks worth of worry overcame her and all of her unshed tears coursed down Serina's face. Severus shot out of the chair and pulled her into an embrace.

"There now, don't cry. If you want, I'll have them send me to Azkaban anyway. I didn't realize you wanted me out of your life that badly."

Serina cried out at him in frustration and pounded his chest. Yes, her strength had come back to her. That had hurt.

"Severus, how could you say such a thing? I've been frantic that they would have dragged you away and I wouldn't even have been able to say goodbye! I didn't want to worry you, so I've kept my mouth shut, but I've been having the most horrible nightmares about you dying alone in a prison cell." She grasped him even tighter as more tears streamed down her face and huge sobs wracked her body.

"Serina, I will never leave you. I'm sorry you were so worried. I was worried myself, but Potter and Lupin did a good job and the Wizengamot was almost unified in its decision. I am yours now, forever. We can plan for a normal life finally, without spy work and evil Dark Lords to muck it up."

"I don't know if I would know what to do with a normal life." Looking into his eyes she said, "They really believed you? They know you're not evil?"

"Well, they probably still think I'm evil, but they did believe my story. It will be plastered all over _The Prophet_ in the morning, so we'll know for sure what people are thinking."

"So much for a normal life," Serina said ruefully.

"It will be fine. If the press becomes too much, you can just 'entice' them with your mind to look elsewhere for their news."

Serina smiled. "Oh, forget about them. They'll find another topic soon enough." Looking coyly at her husband she said, "Hmm, I wonder if you'll kiss me differently now that you're a free man."

"There's only one way to find out," Severus countered.

His lips brushed hers faintly, sending a shudder through Serina's body. He brushed them again and again, each time putting a little more pressure into the kiss. Finally he claimed her for his own, searing her with a kiss filled with passion that left her reeling. He finally pulled back and looked at her expectantly.

"Wow!" Serina grinned at him. "Freedom does _wonders_ for you, my love."

"Shall we keep experimenting?" Severus asked innocently.

With a nod of her head she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. This time she did the teasing by placing little kisses all around his mouth, being careful not to touch his lips at all with hers. Severus groaned in frustration as he tried to claim her mouth with his, but she was too quick for him. She was able to play her game for another minute until Severus could stand it no more.

"For Merlin's sake, witch, kiss me right!" he cried.

Serina smiled mischievously and finally put Severus out of his misery by pressing her lips to his. He let out a groan of pleasure and returned her kiss with the same intensity.

"When can you get out of here?" he begged in between kisses.

"Poppy," she gave him a long kiss, "said I'm free," she kissed him again, "to go any time." She kissed him again.

Severus pulled away from her and glared at her. "Well why didn't you say so before?"

Giving her a wolfish grin, he rose and extended his hand and helped her out of the bed. He put his arm supportively around her waist and they exited the infirmary and Hogwarts, showering each other with kisses as they walked.

* * *

That evening they sat at the dinner table in the cabin and discussed the future. They really had several possibilities to choose from. Serina was happy to return to Hogwarts and continue as the Muggle Studies teacher. With all that had happened, the position hadn't been filled yet and the students had just had a substitute during her absence.

Severus considered teaching also, but he was unsure. First of all, he didn't know whether the Potions or the DADA position were open. Second of all, he wasn't sure he really wanted to go back to a school full of dunderheads and have to deal with exploding cauldrons or stupefied students.

"Well, you don't have to teach if you don't want to," Serina said. "It doesn't matter to me what you do, as long as you're happy doing it."

Severus smiled at his beautiful wife. "You'd even be happy if I just holed myself up in our home and worked on Potions all the day long?"

Serina reached her hand out to him. He extended his hand out and grasped hers.

"As I said, as long as you're happy, I'm all for it." She smiled at him encouragingly and gave his hand a squeeze.

Severus had to admit to himself the thought of not having to answer to a boss of any kind was intriguing. Perhaps he could market enough potions to make a nice living.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Yet another day in court._

_Yay, Severus is free. Thanks for reading and all of your great comments. Review please._


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Severus found himself in the Wizengamot courtroom once again, this time with Serina by his side. They were attending the trial of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. The Ministry had chosen to try the couple together even though they had different responsibilities among the Death Eaters.

Lucius and Narcissa were brought in and seated in the prisoner's chairs. Chains magically appeared and bound their hands to the chairs. Lucius stared ahead with no emotion on his face. In fact, he seemed to not care about anything. Not once had he glanced around during the whole trial. He didn't know that Serina and Severus had been there every single day, because he had never strayed from looking straight ahead, his face expressionless.

When he had been asked questions and needed to testify for himself he had answered with a dead voice. The usual sarcasm or haughtiness that he held in his voice was absent. Serina didn't even hear the voice she was used to hearing from him. It had always been filled with caring and love. All of that was absent too. He just spoke in a monotone, bereft of feeling.

Narcissa was a different story. She had flashed her eyes around the courtroom many times. They had settled on Serina occasionally and had narrowed at her. When asked questions, her responses were clipped and defensive. At times she even shouted her innocence for all in the courtroom to hear. But her animosity was not frightening because her time at Azkaban had broken her. She was gaunt and her hair was matted and knotted. She appeared to be on the brink of insanity, especially when her eyes flashed around the courtroom, settling on someone, a sneer on her face.

She was even struggling to get her hands freed now. Serina wasn't sure that Narcissa even understood what was going on anymore. She was unsure that Narcissa comprehended that her fate would be decided today.

The gavel drummed on the desk and Kingsley Shackelbolt brought the court to order. He looked down at the couple accused of being Death Eaters and murderers and began to speak.

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, you have been charged with murder and association with Voldemort as Death Eaters. The Wizengamot has heard the charges and your defense. Jurors, have you reached a verdict?"

One of the members sitting near the end of the group spoke. "We have your honor," replied the man.

Shackelbolt continued. "Wizengamot, how find you?"

The same man stood and unrolled a parchment. "In the first count, we the Wizengamot find the defendants innocent of murder for lack of evidence."

Serina sighed loudly and the spectators all gasped in unison.

"On the second count, we find the defendants to be the followers of Voldemort, known as Death Eaters, guilty of all of the crimes associated with being said persons, including torture and use of unforgivable curses."

Cheers rang out from some of the spectators. Shackelbolt pounded the gavel and cried for order.

"Members of the Wizengamot," Shakelbolt asked, "are you in agreement with these findings?"

The entire group said "Aye," in unison.

Shakelbolt continued, "Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, I pronounce you guilty of being Death Eaters and of committing crimes associated with such. Taking into account the testimony of one, Serina Snape, I can see that you were not as devoted to him as some of his followers; nonetheless, you are guilty of these heinous crimes. I hereby sentence you both to three years in Azkaban for your past crimes. Bear in mind that had your cousin not vouched for you Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, the punishment would have been much greater. Court is adjourned. The prisoners are to be returned to Azkaban."

With that the courtroom exploded in noise. The many reporters swooped out of the room again. Others spoke among themselves at how the Malfoys had gotten off easily, blaming it on their wealth. But one person made not a sound. Serina sat stone still in her seat, staring hopelessly at Lucius, tears coursing down her face.

For the first time during the trial, Lucius seemed to become himself. As the prison guard released him from the chair and moved him to a standing position he looked over at Serina. She could see clarity in his eyes once again and he flashed a grin at her, silently telling her that he would survive this and see her again. The tears came harder as she saw him led away, the door closing behind him. She could see Narcissa, who was just beyond Lucius, writhing and screaming and struggling to be set free.

Serina felt nothing but intense grief. She had plead for their lives, told the Wizengamot what she had seen in Lucius' mind. She had even subjected the memories to scrutinizing in a pensieve, but it had been for nothing. They were still putting her beloved cousin away. What would three years in Azkaban do to him? She remembered how he had emerged from his last sojourn in the horrid jail. He had seemed to be lost for months. He had come out of the jail razor thin and gaunt, a faraway look in his eyes that didn't truly go away for weeks. That had only been a few months in the prison, now he would be locked up for three years. Would he ever be the same again? Would the Malfoy name ever be the same again?

She felt an arm around her shoulder but did not move to look at Severus. She felt a hand take hers and looked down through her tears to see Draco's hand grasping hers. She noticed one of her teardrops fall onto his hand. She wiped it away with her other hand, the act breaking her from the trance she was in. She looked over at Draco. His face showed no emotion, but his eyes were filled with pain. Yes, he was an adult now, but he would severely miss his parents these next few years, and they would probably miss much in his life.

"Seri, don't cry," Draco told her, using the nickname he had called her ever since he first began to talk.

Serina tried to be brave for him, flashing a wan smile at him.

"It will be okay, Draco," she comforted him. "The time will be passed before we know it, and they will be alright."

"My mom, Seri, she won't live through this," Draco said bitterly. He looked down at their hands clasped together.

Serina took her hand from his and wiped away her tears. She then softly drew his chin toward her so he could look at her.

"She is stronger than she seems now, she will recover."

Serina saw the doubt in Draco's eyes. She did what she had to. She grasped his hand in hers and sent a spell of comfort to him. She may have to deal with her grief, but she would not watch Draco slowly become withdrawn with his, too morose to go on with life.

The spell wouldn't take all of the pain away, but it would help him to deal with his sorrow and not sink into depression.

"Seri, what did you just do?" Draco asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"It's just a comforting spell, Draco. It will help you deal with your parent's absence these next three years."

He smiled at her then and gave her a hug.

"You could tell I was about to fall apart, huh?" Draco asked her.

She rubbed his back as she answered him. "I know this won't be easy, Draco. I just wanted to help you along a little. Please, don't forget that we're here for you. We would do anything for you Draco, don't be a stranger."

Draco pulled away from her. "I won't."

He got up and nodded to Severus, then turned and made his way out of the courtroom. Serina could just watch him. She knew he would be alright now. He would be able to cope with the grief of his parent's incarceration.

"That was very kind of you, my love," Severus said and kissed her forehead when she had turned back to him.

"I had to. I could feel him falling apart silently."

"And what about you? You're falling apart silently too. What can I do for you to forget all of this ever happened?"

Severus looked at her with great concern and worry. She let out a huge sob as her carefully constructed front for Draco fell apart. Serina grasped Severus' cloak and pulled herself to him, crying loudly in the now empty courtroom. She felt so helpless. She had done all she could, but it hadn't been enough. Now Lucius would be put away for three years.

The special bond that she and Severus held showed him her thoughts. He embraced her and held her tight.

"Don't blame yourself, Serina, you saved them. None of the other Death Eaters have gotten less than ten years in prison. Some of them have been put away for life. Shakelbolt was very lenient with them and he said it was because of your testimony."

"I know, and deep down I know that Lucius did some horrible things, and has to pay for that. I am grateful that his sentence is so short, but just the thought of him being imprisoned even for that long…" She couldn't go on with her thought, it was too painful.

Severus rubbed her back and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Lucius will survive. Despite his pretty boy looks, he is very strong. He will not let this break him."

"What about Narcissa? She is on the brink of insanity. Draco was right, she won't survive this."

"I thought you had no feelings for the woman, Serina."

"I don't particularly care for her, that's true. But Lucius loves her deeply. And she's Draco's mother. It will destroy them both to see her so broken. She might not even live through this ordeal. What will Lucius do without her after wasting away in jail for three years?"

Severus raised Serina's head so she looked into his eyes. "We shall deal with that if it is a true concern. We can't worry ourselves over what might be."

"I should have done something more," Serina said miserably.

"Such as what?"

"Severus, I was so tempted to just use my mind powers and make the Wizengamot set them free. What's the use of having such abilities when I can't even use them to help those I love?"

"You didn't do anything because you knew it was wrong to interfere. Starlight gave you these powers because he knew that you would never abuse them. Don't berate yourself for doing the right thing, Serina. I can't tell you how wrong that is."

"But I didn't realize how hard it would be to not do anything. I just sat by and watched while my cousin was given what is to him a fate worse than death."

"He knew the possible consequences of his actions. He was not innocent in this. For many years he was an avid follower of Voldemort, you know that." Severus was beginning to get a bit testy, annoyed that she was blaming herself for her cousin's misguided acts.

Serina nodded her head. "I know. I know he's not innocent and even when he began to have second thoughts; he did nothing to help the Order. I know that. I just wish there was more that I could do."

Severus softened somewhat and cupped her cheek in his hand. "You did all that you could. Anything more and you would not be able to sleep at night." He thought for a moment and then added, "Perhaps you can help Narcissa not lose her mind. You would only need to see her once to give her some sort of charm or healing to keep her sane. Both Lucius and Draco would be relieved to know that she will not go insane. That would be a great gift for both of them."

Serina pondered that for a moment. She looked at Severus and nodded.

"That's a wonderful idea, Severus. I'll make arrangements for a visit to her. She need not know why I'm there. I'm sure I'll be able to stabilize her mind enough to keep her sane throughout these next three years."

He gave her a quick grin. "Come on, let's get out of here. We can visit Lucius too, whenever you want to. We can even bring Draco. You'll see; they'll all be alright."

Serina gave Severus a wan smile and nodded her head. He stood and grasped her hand to help her out of her seat. They walked hand in hand out of the courtroom, up out of the Ministry, and onto the street. Immediately they were surrounded by photographers and reporters shouting questions.

"How do you feel about the verdict, Mrs. Snape?"

"Did the Malfoy's get off too easily, Mr. Snape?"

"If Potter was at their defense, do you think they would have gone free?"

"Mr. Snape, did you think that because you were let off the hook, that the Malfoy's would be too?"

"Will you visit the prisoners?"

"How do you think the Malfoy's will endure their sentences?"

"Did Lucius Malfoy ever kill anyone?"

"Did you make up those memories about your cousin to help him be set free, Mrs. Snape?"

Severus and Serina had been ignoring all of the questions and reporters until that last one had been thrown out at Serina. When Severus heard that one, he got a snarl on his face and turned on the reporter who asked the question. The man, who sat at least a head shorter than Severus, backed up a few steps when he saw the angry look on Severus' face.

Severus took a step closer to the reporter and towered over him as he spat out, "My wife does not make up stories, sir. I suggest you take your quill and shove it where the sun doesn't shine."

With that he turned back to Serina and glared at all of the other reporters, daring them to ask another question. He didn't even need to pull out his wand, just his overbearing scowl made the other reporters stop questioning them. They all started to mumble under their breath and quietly stalked away, leaving the couple standing in the middle of the sidewalk outside of the Ministry.

Serina turned to Severus and put her arms around his neck. "You're my hero, Severus Snape."

Severus grinned at her and gave her a light kiss on her cheek. "Come on; let's get out of here, before they bring reinforcements."

Serina giggled and they apparated back to the cabin.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: A desire to brew_

_It seems like I had you all wondering as to why Severus was in court again. I hope you enjoyed the answer. Thanks to everyone for reading. There's the blue button down on the left. It just takes a little click and some typing to let me know how you liked it._


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

A few weeks later:

Severus and Serina had returned to Hogwarts and Serina had continued in her Muggle Studies position. Severus found himself rather lonely during the day. There were no current openings at the school for his abilities, so he found himself puttering around their apartment, or wandering around the grounds, utterly bored.

He found the students still treated him respectfully, if not with fear. Many of them had even stopped glowering at him when they found out the truth of his defecting and the circumstances of Dumbledore's death. Nonetheless, the Slytherins were cold to him. They would never say anything to his face, but their narrow eyed stares when he walked by were enough to tell Severus just what they thought of him.

To them he was the traitor. Not all of them felt that way of course, but there were many Voldemort supporters and children of Death Eaters among the Slytherins. They surely did not appreciate him working against their parents and Lord. It was somewhat disconcerting to think that some of those Slytherins were old enough to cause him harm if they so deemed. Even here, he would need to watch his back.

He continued on his walk by the lake. He was going crazy with nothing to do. He couldn't just sit around all day, every day. It would drive him mad. He needed something to occupy his time. He could only read for so long before his brain became weary of study. At long last, he swallowed his pride and decided to speak with the current Potions professor. Perhaps Horace Slughorn would let him putter in the lab if he asked him nicely.

He quickly made his way back into the school and down into the dungeons. His timing was perfect, as the current class was filing out of the Potions room, chatting with one another. Some of them glanced at Severus and nodded but most just rushed past him. Severus waited for the room to empty out, and then strode in himself, glancing around what used to be his old classroom.

"Professor Slughorn, do you have a minute?" he asked.

"Why Severus, glad you stopped by! I do happen to have a few minutes actually, this is my off hour. Would you like to come back to my quarters and have a seat?"

Severus nodded and followed Horace to his room. Horace opened the door and motioned for Severus to take a seat. Slughorn gently lowered himself into a seat facing Severus and smiled at him.

"So what have you been doing to occupy your time, Severus?"

"That's actually what I came to speak with you about," Severus replied. "I seem to have more time on my hands than I know what to do with. I was wondering if you would let me have access to the private Potions Lab in the back of the classroom. I could do with a little brewing."

Horace chuckled. "I'm surprised it took you this long to ask Severus. I thought for sure you'd be begging me to get in there within a week of your return. Yes, yes, feel free to use it whenever you wish."

"I would warn you ahead of time, I will probably wish to use it frequently, and I am working on something that will keep me there for many hours at a time. Are those conditions satisfactory to you?"

"Absolutely satisfactory, as long as you don't mind me puttering around in there with you."

Severus frowned.

"I don't usually brew except on the weekend. Too many other things to do you know. But I usually am in there Friday evenings and all of Saturday."

"Of course, Horace," Severus said trying to be amiable. "It is, of course, your lab. I trust we won't disturb one another if we find ourselves in the same place at the same time. There is sufficient workspace for both of us, I would presume."

"Quite right," Slughorn gushed. "By the way, Severus, I was wondering if you would like to come to a little get together I am throwing for some of the students and faculty. It's next Friday night at six. Bring your lovely wife."

Severus grimaced inwardly. He did not want to become involved in Horace's Slug society. That was the main reason he hadn't approached him earlier about using the lab. He quickly came up with an alibi.

"Next Friday. Oh dear, I'm afraid Serina and I had planned on spending the evening with Draco that night. It's been hard on him since his parents were sent to Azkaban."

"Well, bring him along then!" Slughorn said jovially.

"Hmm, I don't think he's quite up to socializing yet. Besides, some of the students still look upon him with disdain. We are trying to help him feel better, not worse." Severus couldn't help but look at Slughorn crossly.

"I see your point, Severus. Well, another time then. I plan on having quite a few parties this year, with You-Know-Who dead and all, there's a lot to celebrate."

Severus only gave him a thin grin.

"By the way, Severus, I want you to know that I only accepted the Potions position temporarily. If you are interested in having it back, I am set to leave after this year. To be honest with you, I'm rather tired of teaching and I could possibly be coerced into leaving at the end of the semester if you find yourself still bored."

Severus thought about it for a minute. "To be honest with you, Horace, I am uncertain whether I want to keep teaching myself. I will have to think about it."

Severus stood to leave and thanked Slughorn for his kindness. Horace told him to go right ahead and head over to the lab right then and there. Severus made a slight bow with his head to thank Horace again for his hospitality and left the man's room. He quickly made his way back to the Potions room and the lab. Looking at the entry, he realized he hadn't asked Slughorn for the password to drop the wards. Perhaps he hadn't changed them. Severus mumbled the password he used when he was teaching and to his surprise, the door's wards fell and it swung open.

He entered the room eagerly. He was pleased that Horace had kept it much the same as it had been during Severus' tenure. It was as immaculate as he had kept it also, which was a relief. He knew some Potions teachers who worked sloppily and never cleaned after themselves, leaving a very dangerous work environment. But this lab was pristine in its cleanliness. The two long tables almost gleamed they were so immaculate and the shelves were lined with brewing instruments that all glimmered with cleanliness. Perhaps it was even a bit cleaner than he himself had kept it. He smiled at that.

Going over to the closet with the cauldrons in it, he selected one and brought it to the smaller table. He began work on his Wolfsbane potion. He had made good progress with it before he was forced to abandon it along with his past life at the passing of Dumbledore. He had done several trials with Werewolves, but had not had much success in keeping them from transforming. He had noticed though, that the test subjects had stated that the pain and fatigue seemed to be less with his potion than with the normal Wolfsbane. He had been pleased with that side effect, even though the whole potion wasn't perfected yet.

He chopped up some aconite and thought to himself that he should have enough time to brew the potion before the next full moon. Severus worked for two hours, getting the potion to a state where he could leave it. Brewing Wolfsbane took quite a lot of concentration, so Severus hadn't really had time to think more of Slughorn's offer again until he was exiting the room and resetting the wards.

He turned to see a classroom of Seventh years looking at him curiously. Harry Potter looked at him over his glasses as he stirred the potion he was creating. He had finally returned to the school after the trial and countless number of parades and parties. Severus ignored him and the rest, including Horace, and left the Potions classroom, heading for his room. Seeing that classes were still in session, Severus met no one and returned to his quarters quickly. He sat down in his favorite wing backed chair and stared out the window, deep in thought.

He was so engrossed in his musings that he didn't even realize Serina had come home. He jumped slightly as he felt her hands brush against his shoulder. He was losing his touch. Before he knew it, Serina had bent close to his ear and was whispering into it.

"Did you know that Muggles use a special type of oil to rub each other down and relax themselves?" she whispered provocatively.

He turned and looked at her questioningly. "Is that so?"

Serina nodded her head innocently, her eyes playfully wide. "And did you also know that I happened to acquire some of this oil today by owl post?"

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "I had no idea."

She came around to the front of the chair and sat in his lap. She again whispered into his ear.

"What do you say we see what the big fuss is about and try some ourselves?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Severus replied in a growl.

Serina giggled a little as she rose from Severus' lap. She pulled a small heart shaped bottle with some pink liquid out of her robes and waved it in front of his face.

"It's supposed to smell like roses," she said.

Fire shot through Severus' eyes, "Well, let's find out exactly what it smells like!"

Severus arose from the chair and took Serina's hand and dragged her toward the bedroom eagerly. He stopped just inside the doorway and kissed her passionately as she swung the door closed behind them.

oooOOOooo

"What would you think if I took over Slughorn's position at the start of the new semester?" Severus asked Serina.

They were still in their apartment. They had decided to take dinner in their room that night and were sitting across from each other at the table, with plates of food half eaten in front of them.

Serina studied Severus intently. "Is that what you want to do?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure. I spoke with him today and he brought up the fact that he would be willing to retire early if I wanted his position back. There are good points and bad points to accepting his offer."

Serina nodded. "Do you still want to teach the Dark Arts class?"

Severus thought about it. "I think I will always want to teach that class, but I am not as passionate about having the position as I was before. I believe I would be satisfied resuming the Potions position if I decide to do so."

Serina nodded. "What are your reservations?"

"Well, there's the fact that I hate children. That has always been a problem."

Serina smiled at him.

"I'm not certain I want to answer to a boss, even if it is Minerva. I have enjoyed the ability to do what I want when I want."

Serina nodded at that.

"Those are probably the only reservations I have," he responded.

"Okay," Serina replied. "What are the positives, then?"

"A steady salary, working in a field I like, consistent work without gaps filled with boredom, not feeling like a fifth wheel in a castle full of teachers and I'm just the 'spouse'."

Serina laughed at that.

Severus scowled.

Serina became serious again and asked, "What would you do if you don't take the position?"

Severus looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "I've thought long and hard about freelancing. You know, just taking on clients and brewing specific potions for them. It would give me great freedom to pick and choose what I wanted to do."

Serina nodded. "Would that give you enough things to challenge yourself?"

"I believe that it would, once people knew what I was doing. It might take a while to get established though."

Serina sat silently for a moment. Severus waited for her to form whatever thought she was thinking into words.

"You know I want you to do what will make you happy. The thing is I can see both of these things making you happy. I know you say you hate children, Severus, but I've seen you teach and I've seen the results of your teaching. Your students leave your classroom understanding potions. You truly are a good teacher, whether your students hate your methods or not.

"Perhaps you can do both," she mused. "Before, you spent so much time doing Voldemort's bidding. Maybe you can use that extra time to freelance. That way you could do something challenging and still have the security of teaching. Have you considered that?"

"No, I hadn't," Severus confessed. "I have been concentrating on one or the other. In fact, I had given up on the teaching position until Slughorn said he would be willing to step down at the end of the semester if I wanted him to. It seems he has had his fill of teaching too."

Serina tilted her head and regarded Severus carefully, "But have you truly had your fill of teaching, or is something else making you hesitant to resume your position."

Severus folded his arms and looked down at the table. "Are you reading my mind?" he said acidly.

Serina looked at him in shock. "Severus, I told you I would never do that without your permission. Of course I'm not reading your mind! It was a simple question. You just seem awfully hesitant to resume your position. I was just wondering why."

Severus sighed. "I'm sorry. It seems you know me too well, even without your amazing mind powers. Yes, there is something else, but it is a stupid excuse."

"Why don't you tell me and let me decide whether it is stupid or not? Severus, haven't we had this conversation before a long time ago?"

Severus nodded, looking a bit sheepish. "It's just that…I am uncertain I would have the students respect anymore."

Serina looked at Severus quizzically. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have seen the way the Slytherins glower at me. They think I am a traitor. What if their parents pull them out of the school if I am reinstated? And what if the other parents pull out their students because they don't want their children studying under a murderer?"

"Severus, you are a hero, not a murderer, and the entire Wizarding world knows it. People would be foolish not to be delighted to have their child taught by a war hero. I really think that aspect is a non issue. As for the Slytherin's reactions, no matter what their feelings towards you, they will respect you as a teacher. They know better than to disrespect any teacher here at Hogwarts. Besides, your teaching methods demand respect. I believe they'll give you the respect you deserve, just like any student from any house does.

"As for their parents pulling them out; I don't think that they would dare to do so. If they do that, they will just be admitting to the fact that they sided with Voldemort as either sympathizers or true Death Eaters that have gone into hiding. They would be calling unwanted attention to themselves. I doubt any of them would wish for more attention to be given them. No, they may complain amongst their families and their friends, but I doubt many of them will withdraw their children. There's too much at stake for them to do so."

Severus only nodded. Serina was right. The Slytherin parents would be foolish to make noise about his reappointment. He couldn't understand why he was so worried about them anyway. They would never give him a second thought. He had to admit, resuming his teaching position was looking better to him. His thoughts were interrupted by Serina.

"Do you think I could help you with your freelancing? I've been itching to brew something for a while now, I just haven't mentioned it."

"I would be honored to work with you, my wife. I forgot to mention, I have started up the Wolfsbane again. I should have some for trials by the next full moon."

Serina's eyes grew wide. "That's great! You'll finally have the time you need to devote to that."

They sat quietly for a while, each deep in thought. At length, Serina rose. She had papers to grade that she had been putting off for hours now. Severus looked up at her as she stood.

"I think I'll do both," he said finally.

Serina went over to him and kissed him on the forehead.

"I knew you'd make the right decision," she told him.

"If that was the right decision, why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Severus asked with his eyes narrowed.

"You know I would never tell you how to live your life. I do think you will be happiest doing both, though."

"Conniving witch!" Severus said with a smile.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: The Wolfsbane trial_

_(That's trial as in test, not as in another judge and jury. I think we've exhausted those out.) Thanks for reading. Just a couple of chapters left. Review please, it makes me smile._


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Severus sat at a desk in St. Mungo's hospital, giving out vials of his Wolfsbane potion. He had made all of the arrangements to restart testing and there were about 20 werewolves who were willing to participate in the trials. Remus Lupin was one of those Werewolves. Severus frowned at him as he handed him a vial.

"You haven't poisoned it, old chap, now have you?" Remus kidded.

Severus' frown grew deeper. "Yes, Lupin, just yours. I want to be rid of you and your endless prattle as soon as possible."

Remus decided that Severus was joking. He had come to understand the man's dry sense of humor while working with him in the Order.

"Well, down the hatch then!" Remus exclaimed and popped the cork, drinking the potion in its entirety. "I hope you have success this time Severus."

"Success in what, killing you?" was the snide comeback.

Remus just laughed and walked away.

After the last vial was distributed, Severus and the doctors and nurses had nothing left to do but wait for the rise of the full moon in a few hours. The Mediwitch sitting next to Severus tuned to him and made small talk.

"We're glad you chose to resume your experiments, Professor Snape. Hopefully you'll come across the right combination soon. It would be wonderful to save these people the pain of transformation." The witch batted her eyes at him, evidently excited to be in the presence of a war hero.

Severus nodded and stared straight ahead. The last thing he needed was some love sick Mediwitch making eyes at him. He purposefully pulled his fingers through his hair, letting the wedding ring on his finger sparkle in the light. The witch noticed it and stood and walked over to busy herself with her patients. Severus smiled to himself.

Severus thought of his prior trials. There had been various reactions. Mostly nothing happened and the Werewolves had transformed as usual, but a few times there would be results. Not results he was looking for, of course. He remembered when all of the test subjects had transformed into Grey Wolves. He supposed that was better than transforming into Werewolves, but nonetheless, not what he had intended.

He hoped he had gotten all of the kinks out of the potion. He was running out of ideas. If this mixture didn't work, he was at a loss as to what else to change in it. Perhaps he would never find a way to keep the Werewolves from transforming. Maybe it was just an impossible task, something that couldn't be prevented, no matter what potion was used. He certainly hoped that wasn't the case.

His thoughts turned to his conversation with Minerva McGonagall earlier in the month. He had told her he wanted to resume his teaching position and she had exclaimed how wonderful that was and had even clapped her hands. The incredibly reserved Minerva McGonagall had clapped her hands. What was this world coming to? Then the most unnerving thing of all had happened. She had jumped out of her chair and hugged him.

Hugged him! Severus Snape, the grumpy, dour man who liked affection from no one but his wife. And it had been a long hug. What had she been thinking? Severus had tensed and finally jerked an arm around her back and patted it. He had mumbled something about not needing to display such affection, but she had poo-pooed him and continued to hug him.

Finally he realized that it hadn't been so awful and, now, he would never admit this to anyone including Minerva, he had enjoyed it. Her hug had been warm and kind. It was then that she chose to remove herself from hanging on him and had gone on to apologize for not thinking well of him after Albus' death. She had apologized before, so he was uncertain as to why she was doing it again, but he felt warmth inside of him at her words. He even managed a smile. Perhaps this whole having a boss thing wouldn't be so bad with Minerva at the reigns. She was known to be incredibly fair-minded and the other teachers seemed to adore working with her.

He realized how shocked he had been by her display. Never in his life had anyone but Serina been so warm to him. Of course, his life as a spy had kept him from getting close to people. Now that that part of his life was finally over, he looked forward to having closer relationships with others. He glanced over at Lupin, who was lying stomach down on his cot reading a book. Perhaps now was the time to bury the hatchet. There really wasn't any reason to be nasty to him anymore. There was no threat of being discovered by Voldemort because he treated someone kindly. He rose and wandered over to Remus' cot. He sat on the edge and looked over at him.

"Severus, what can I do for you?" asked Remus.

"Lupin, I believe it is time we had some truce between the two of us."

Remus' eyes grew wide. "Really?" he said dumbly.

Severus looked down his nose at Remus. Then his gaze softened a bit. It would be difficult to make a friend when scowling at them, he realized.

"The follies of our youth are long past, Lupin, and I am finally in a position where I can associate with the outside world. I find myself at a point in my life where I wouldn't mind associating with you as an acquaintance, or even a friend."

Remus' eyes grew even wider, if that were possible. "Wow, pigs really can fly can't they?"

The corner of Severus' mouth turned up in a Snape-ish grin.

Remus chuckled. He sat up so the men could see eye to eye. "I never thought I would hear those words, or any other words of friendship coming from you Severus. The thing is I too find myself at a point in my life where I would like to have you as a friend. Most of mine have been killed. It would be nice to have someone to talk to now and then about more than just the weather."

Severus nodded at that, but Remus went on.

"But if you're serious, Severus, I insist that you call me Remus. I can't see any friend of mine referring to me as Lupin for the rest of my life. So what do you think?" Remus had extended his hand to shake the other man's.

Severus grasped his hand and they shook on it. "Okay, Remus," he said. The name sounded odd on his lips, but he knew he would become accustomed to it in time.

They chatted for a while. Remus told him of Tonk's wedding plans. Of course the colors were pink and purple, to go with her hair. Remus had never imagined there was so much planning that went into a wedding. Finally it was nearing the date, though. They would be married in two weeks.

"Severus, I haven't found a best man yet. I was thinking of asking Harry, but I believe I would rather have you in that position. Would you stand up for me?"

Severus' eyes grew wide. The last thing he had expected was to be asked to be Lupin's, he meant, Remus' best man. He actually felt a lump form in his throat.

Looking over at Remus, who was looking back at him apprehensively, he answered, "I would be honored to be your best man, Remus."

Remus clapped him on the back. Severus' eyes just about popped out of his head.

"That's great, old chap!" Remus exclaimed. "I'll have Tonks get all of the information you need right out to you tomorrow."

Severus nodded.

"Serina will think you're getting soft in your old age, becoming friends with me," Remus chattered.

"She will be ecstatic," Severus warned. "She will probably try to set me up to be friends with Potter next."

"And that would be so bad because…" Remus asked.

Severus scowled at him. "One thing at a time, please. I can barely fathom having you as a friend, let alone Potter!"

"Yes, and it would be so uncomfortable for you to call him Harry too." Remus smiled at Severus.

Severus frowned back at him, which caused Remus to laugh. That, of course caused Severus to scowl which sent Remus into hysterics.

"Oh, you are so predictable, old chap," Remus said with tears in his eyes from his mirth.

"I am not old," Severus said through clenched teeth.

Remus clapped him on the back. "No, of course not; you're just very predictable."

Severus rolled his eyes at the man. Why was he subjecting himself to this? After all of these years, he was being ridiculed by a Werewolf who he used to despise. He shook his head. Looking over at Remus, he noticed the man was still chuckling.

"Oh give it a rest, Remus," he growled.

Remus sobered, but his eyes still twinkled with mirth. He didn't want to end his new friendship within the first hour of it being born.

"So how is Serina faring with her students? Have they all forgiven her for making them think she was dead for the last couple of months?" Remus asked Severus.

"They were happy that she was alive actually, and once all was explained, there were no hard feelings. They practically worship the woman."

"Well, that's good. She gave us all quite a fright, though. I'm glad she is okay."

Severus and Remus chatted on for quite a while. Severus was surprised to find out that Remus had spent a long time in Italy before teaching at Hogwarts and Remus was quite astonished to find that Severus had a penchant for chocolate.

After a while there was an announcement that the moon was about to rise. Everyone gazed out of the large windows of the hospital room and watched as the moon crested over the Earth's horizon and slowly became visible over the surrounding buildings.

Severus held his breath as he looked around the room, expecting it to become filled with Werewolves at any moment. Five minutes passed, then ten. No one changed. Severus took a glance at Remus, who was also looking around. He looked over at Severus in amazement.

"I think you've done it," Remus whispered, almost afraid to say it out loud so as not to jinx it.

Severus dared not say anything for the same reason. They continued to glance around and noticed the others doing the same. After a half hour, the Mediwitch with whom he had been talking with earlier came up to him, a broad smile on her face.

"Congratulations Professor, you've done it!" she gushed, her hand outstretched, ready to shake Severus' hand. He extended his hand, half in shock, and took hers. She pumped his hand up and down furiously.

"This is a wonderful breakthrough. Once word of this gets out, you will have any number of test subjects. We may even have to move to a larger room!"

Severus grinned at her. "Don't get too excited, the night is not over. The true test will be to see if they last the night in their human forms."

She smiled at him and nodded. Even his cautiousness did not dampen her enthusiasm and she broke grip with him and went to congratulate some of the test subjects around the room. Severus' eyes followed her for a few minutes then he turned back to Remus. He was astonished at what he saw sitting beside him. Tears were coursing down Remus' face as he looked at Severus gratefully. Consumed with emotion, Remus threw his arms around Severus and clapped him on the back in a grateful hug. Severus stiffened, but did not pull away.

"Severus, it worked! I can't tell you how relieved and happy I am. I never believed I could live a normal life, but this will make that possible." He pulled away from Severus, but his tears still flowed down his face.

Severus looked at Remus, debating something. "I will admit this only once," he told Remus, "You have been the inspiration behind these trials. I have secretly had a desire to help you out in your _situation _ever since that night in the Shrieking Shack when I discovered your malady."

Remus looked at Severus in shock. He could not believe what he had just heard. "You mean, you did all of this for me?"

Severus gave a small nod and looked straight ahead.

Remus swallowed hard and looked at Severus.

"Severus," he said finally, "it seems I have underestimated you. You are truly an amazing man."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Come now, Remus. It was just a little potion. It's nothing to go weak in the knees about."

Remus smiled to himself with the return of the Severus he was used to.

oooOOOooo

Severus returned home early the next morning. He quietly entered the bedroom to find Serina curled up in a ball, still asleep. He quickly changed his clothes and slipped into bed beside her. She stirred and turned to gaze at him.

"How did it go?" she asked groggily.

"The potion was a success," he said modestly.

Serina's eyes snapped open and she propped herself up on her elbow.

"It worked?" she asked in amazement.

"That is usually the definition of the word success, my dear," he drawled.

She ignored his comment and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Severus, that's wonderful! You are the most amazing man ever! You're smart, and talented, and can do anything with that cauldron of yours!"

He smiled wanly at her gushing. "I may be all of those things, my love, but if I don't get any sleep I will be the most unbearable git you have ever seen."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Okay, okay. Having seen you be an unbearable git many times, I have no desire to see you become one again."

She lay back down and brought her arms around him, cuddling him so he would fall asleep. He harrumphed at her, but soon his breathing had turned regular and he was fast asleep. She gently kissed his forehead and soon drifted back to sleep herself.

* * *

_A/N: Next up: Remus and Tonks' wedding_

_Thanks for all of your great comments. I'm glad you're all enjoying this. I hope you liked Severus' breakthrough, both with the Potion and with Remus. Review if you would, please. Thanks!_


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 **

Remus and Tonk's wedding was a lavish affair. There were hundreds of guests and they had rented a hall that could transfigure itself into anything. Severus glanced around the hall. It was decorated nicely. He was unsure where Tonks had found so many purple flowers; the hall was filled with them. He and Remus waited under a giant arch made up entirely of the dark flowers. The aisles were framed with them and they seemed to be blooming from the ceiling, dropping down in long vines that stopped just a few feet above the guest's heads. The chairs were all pink, as was the podium on which Severus and Remus stood.

Severus felt a bit intimidated at all of the people he would eventually need to shake hands with, but he calmed himself down. He would be stalwart for his new found friend. He glanced down at his outfit. He was clad in a very dark purple satiny tuxedo that fit his form perfectly.

_Purple_ he thought. _Of all the colors, she had to pick purple. I look like a giant grape. _He thought of the alternative and was immediately grateful for the purple, imagining himself in a bright pink tuxedo was enough to make him want to run from the room screaming. He had no desire to look like a Pygmy Puff.

Remus himself looked as if he was about to jump out of his skin, he was so nervous. Severus grabbed his arm and began whispering furiously into his ear.

"Listen, Remus, if you keep jittering like that, everyone will think you have been hexed with an insect spell. Stand still for Merlin's sake," he hissed.

Remus looked gratefully at him. "Sorry, old chap. It's just nerves, you know."

"Yes, if you'll remember, I have been through such a ceremony myself. There is nothing to fear, it will be one of the most wonderful memories of your life."

Remus smiled at him. "Too bad Serina didn't hear you say that."

Severus raised an eyebrow at him. Perhaps he should make his feelings known to her later. He would enjoy the blush that would cover her cheeks as he whispered that and other sweet nothings to her. He smiled slightly just thinking of it.

Finally it was time for Tonks to enter. Even Severus had to admit she looked nice. She had on a shimmering white gown which had been enchanted to glow pink and purple as different lights hit it. The large windows that lined the hall let in enough of the suns rays to keep her gown sparkling and changing for her entire trip down the aisle. Her hair was still the light purplish pink, but it flowed with strips of gold throughout. The effect was quite breathtaking.

Severus once again thought back to his own wedding day. No one could come close to the beautiful woman who had been his bride. Tonks looked good, but Serina had been ravishing. A small chill ran through his body at the thought of his beautiful Serina as she had looked on that day. He glanced over at her now. She was sitting in the second row, looking lovely. She had put her hair up, and it was so beautiful he just wanted to pull it down and watch it cascade around her shoulders. She had left a few dark curls to frame her face, but the rest was swept up and flowed down behind her. She wore a beautiful dress in royal blue that hugged her curves and then flaired out below the knees. The necklace he had given her in the Shrieking shack was wrapped around her neck. She noticed him staring and blushed prettily. Finally she gave him a smile, and then widened her eyes, motioning to him to pay attention to what was going on. He smirked at her and turned back to the couple about to be wed.

The ceremony was lovely and Severus had even remembered to hand the ring to Remus at the appropriate time. He had been worried that he would miss his cue, but it was hard to do, as everyone turned and stared at him when the Vicar had asked for the ring. Remus and Tonks had stared lovingly into each others eyes as their binding was completed, much in the same way as Severus' and Serina's had been. They each had promised the other to be their best friends, their protectors, and to always love one another. The golden strands had wrapped themselves around their wrists, and with a flick of the Vicar's wand, had become part of the both of them. Remus smiled down at Tonks and they kissed. Everyone burst into applause.

When that was over, Remus had turned and pumped Severus' hand up and down vigorously, thanking him for being his best man. Severus had nodded and congratulated Remus on his nuptials. The Hall transformed itself as the guests had arisen. There appeared a large dance floor with tables surrounding it. There was a place for the band to set up in the back.

The couple was suddenly surrounded with a flurry of well wishers; all wanting to shake their hands and give them hugs of congratulations. Of course, Severus and Tonk's bridesmaid, Molly Weasley, were obliged to stay and greet everyone also. Harry came up followed closely by his girlfriend, Ginny to offer his congratulations. He hugged Tonks and then clapped Remus on the back jovially.

"That was brilliant, Remus!" he gushed.

"Thanks, Harry!" Remus said. He lowered his voice considerably and whispered in Harry's ear, "So when are we going to hear wedding bells from you and Ginny?"

Harry pulled back and grinned at Remus. "Maybe soon, you never know!"

He went over to Severus and shook his hand vigorously.

"I was a bit surprised when Remus told me you were to be his best man, Professor," Harry offered.

"Yes, I believe that hell is freezing over tonight," was Severus' reply.

Harry chuckled. "I'm glad you two finally buried the hatchet."

"Serina thought that perhaps I had lost my mind."

"Maybe you're just getting soft in your old age."

"Why is everybody telling me I'm old? I am not old! Getting soft? Well that's obvious. I mean, for heaven's sake, I'm talking to you without sneering, I'm certainly getting soft." Severus pointed his finger in Harry's face, "but I am not old."

Harry just shook his head. "Whatever you say, Professor."

"It's Severus."

Harry's eyes grew wide. "What did you just say?"

"My name, Potter; it's Severus. You are no longer my student; you may address me by my given name."

Harry threw his hand over his heart. "I think I'm having a heart attack!"

Severus rolled his eyes. "I knew I shouldn't have expected a mature reaction from you."

"Well, Severus," Harry said, his hand extended once again. Severus took it and shook it again mechanically. "I best get Ginny on the dance floor before she kills me."

With that Harry turned and led Ginny off to dance. Severus shook his head. Soft indeed! Now he was making ovations to Potter. Perhaps someone had strewn happy dust around the room.

oooOOOooo

Eventually everyone was partying, dancing, and having a good time. With Severus' duties over, he wandered over to his lovely wife who was busily conversing with Minerva. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her. She leaned her head back against his shoulder.

"You were quite the handsome best man, my dear," she told him.

Minerva excused herself and went off to chat with someone else.

"Thank you, my love. I kept thinking about our wedding and what a beautiful bride you were; much more gorgeous than Nymphadora, if I do say so myself."

Serina turned and snuggled into him, blushing slightly. "Thank you," she said lovingly.

"Serina, our wedding day was the most wonderful day of my life," he murmured as he nuzzled her neck. "It is my most treasured memory."

She pulled back and studied him. She saw his love for her reflected in his eyes, as it had so many other times before. Serina smiled and blushed a bit. He always gave her butterflies.

"Severus, every time I look at you, you make my knees go weak," she confessed.

He smiled at her and kissed her lightly.

Serina pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I have something to tell you that I hope will make more wonderful memories," she said coyly. "I was going to wait and tell you tonight, but I find I can't keep it to myself any longer."

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "You're keeping secrets from me, witch?"

Serina smiled at him. "I only found out this morning."

"So why didn't you tell me then?"

She tilted her head and looked lovingly at him. "You had enough on your mind, love. Besides, this is Remus' and Tonks' special day. I didn't want to overshadow it."

"Now I'm really curious. What are you keeping from me?"

Serina blushed, becoming nervous all of a sudden. She thought her news would be taken well, but part of her was still anxious about his reaction.

Severus smiled at her awkwardness. "Come on, what is it?" he insisted.

"I'm pregnant," she said softly so only he could hear.

Severus' eyes widened at her. "You're pregnant? You're going to have a baby?"

"That's usually what the word pregnant means, love."

"I'm going to be a father?"

"Another thing you might surmise from the word pregnant, dear."

Suddenly, Severus' arms were around her and he was hugging her tightly. "Merlin," he exclaimed, "I'm going to be a father!"

A couple of people standing nearby, including Minerva, looked over at him in shocked surprise, and then smiled at his cry.

Severus' sense of decorum returned to him and he stiffened a little at his outburst. He heard Serina chuckling into his chest. He pulled back and was going to glower at her for her insolence, but her bright smiling face made him forget his embarrassment. Her eyes were so filled with love for him that he could barely contain himself from enveloping her back into his embrace.

_To heck with decorum_, he thought. _This is one of the greatest moments of my life and I'm not going to waste it!_

He scooped Serina into his arms. His mouth came down on hers and he kissed her with all that he had. They remained locked in an embrace, kissing one another passionately for several minutes, attracting the attention of quite a few of the guests who were surrounding them. They were being so passionate; one would think that they were the newly married couple the guests were all here to celebrate.

Finally, they broke apart. Serina was blushing furiously and Severus looked a bit taken aback with his actions. Serina looked up at him.

"I take it you're pleased?" she asked.

"Ecstatic," Severus replied. He smiled at her then. "Serina, you are my everything. Every time I look at you I see my future and it sends shivers down my spine."

Serina looked lovingly at her husband. "You are my everything too, darling," she whispered before his lips met hers again in an emotional, loving kiss.

**The End**

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_A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope you all enjoyed it. There's nothing like a lot of fluff to end a story. Don't forget to leave a final review. :)_

_Blatant tooting of one's own horn: If you liked this fic, check out my others. I'm currently in the middle of an HG/SS fic called Time's Treasure. It's a time turner/rewrite the past kind of thing. If you're not into that ship, then I'll probably have another SS/OC out in a month or two. It's almost ready to be posted. _

_Thank you all for reading and reviewing. If you've gotten this far in the story than I can probably assume you enjoyed it and I'm glad you did._

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